I may be asking for the impossible, but I think we college educators need advice from a variety of professionals about what news media will look like in 15 years. It's easy for us to criticize ourselves for not adequately preparing our students for today's job market, but I don't always feel confident about what skills will be essential in tomorrow's job market.
I agree with Dave. But I think many in the news business have no clue what the place is going to look like in 15 years. They seem to be guessing and grasping. More than ever, though, it seems a great time for collaboration between the newsrooms and academia. It will be interesting to see what comes out of all of the clamor for a new economic model. In the meantime, newsrooms are cutting like crazy, yet they still seem eager to get our students and their new media skills.
__________________
Susan M. Knight
Assistant Professor
Faculty Mentor/Curriculum Coordinator
Journalism Department
University of Arizona
520-621-3191
smknight@email.arizona.edu