JOURNALISTIC TOOLS OF THE TRADE IN FLANDERS

Abstract

This research is based on two observations. First, journalism practice has changed rapidly and dramatically in the first decade of the twenty-first century. Digitization has imposed pressures on conventional business models, transformed the news production process, and redefined the relationship between newsmakers and their audiences. Second, during that same period Flemish journalism education has boomed, resulting in as many as six professional Bachelor's programs and three academic Master's programs in journalism. These parallel developments have led us to investigate the (mis)match between the needs of Flemish professional journalism, on the one hand, and the ambitions of Flemish journalism curricula, on the other. To this end a survey was distributed among 600 professional journalists to map the competencies they feel are required for the job. Linking these competencies to specific media profiles enabled us to assess the relative importance of each item within a specific working context. Then all Flemish professional and academic journalism education programs were analyzed based on topic focus and media platform. The findings of these investigations were aggregated in an effort to identify the degree of congruence (or lack of it) between the professional field and the educational programs on offer.

Keywords:

• cross media
• journalism education
• journalism practice
• journalistic competencies

Notes

1. This article was part of a research project funded by the Educational Development Fund of the KU Leuven Association. This fund subsidizes projects aimed at educational improvement and innovation.

2. The six professional Bachelor's programs are run by Arteveldehogeschool, Erasmushogeschool Brussels, Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen, Lessius Mechelen, Plantijn Hogeschool Antwerp and Xios Hogeschool Limburg; the three Master's programs are part of Erasmushogeschool Brussels, Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussels and Lessius University College Antwerp. There is no distinction between Master's programs at universities and university colleges in Flanders. The Master's programs at university colleges will be “integrated” in the University Association by October 2013.

3. In the ECTS system, for each course, a description containing information on objectives, content, study material and work load (expressed in ECTS) is developed. This facilitates inter-institutional comparison across Europe.