Let’s hope so. A key point that the author misses, though, is that one doesn’t really learn anything in them, other than how to report things. It’s a metadegree, like a degree in education (though not quite as bad).
One of the reasons that much reporting is so bad, and that many bloggers can run circles around so-called journalists, is that they actually have knowledge to impart, and they can usefully analyze events in a way that a generalist, or “journalist,” simply can’t.
As you have seen and pointed out over the years, there is a lack of knowledge and expertise in almost all the space coverage in the MSM. It would behoove them to find knowledgeable people in the space field and help them to become better writers rather than the other way around. Ironically that is exactly what blogging has done. No tuition needed thank you.
First the J-schools, then the Education schools if we are lucky….
Hmmmmm . . . Wikipedia has a definition of “generalist” that comports with my understanding of the word, to wit: “A person with a broad general knowledge, especially one with more than superficial knowledge in several areas and the ability to combine ideas from diverse fields.”
By this definition, at least, I don’t think most journalists deserve to be called “generalists.”