Attempts to defend A-State's multi-media journalism degree program came too late. In the week before the April 28 state board meeting, two key officers sent “talking points” to Dr. Will McLean, ASU's associate vice chancellor for faculty relations at Arkansas State University, in hopes they could be presented at the board meeting. Dr. Brad Rawlins at the time was director of the School of Media and Journalism. Dr. Lillie Fears was coordinator of the multi-media journalism program. Their points were not presented to the board.
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April 21, 2023
From: Brad Rawlins
Here are some additional points that might be used to justify our current MMJ program.
• Our 5-year average for graduation is 4.6, which is slightly higher than the 3-year average of 4.3. COVID helps explain some of these lower numbers.
• We currently have 11 students admitted in MMJ for fall and we have 18 students currently enrolled in the program.
• Financial support for the students is very strong in the department with 12 privately funded scholarships going to students studying MMJ this year, ranging from $1,000 to $5000.
• Two universities shut down their journalism programs last year: John Brown University and Henderson State. This means that we are one of only a few programs offered in the state, and we believe we are going to be gaining more students as a result.
• We are also fully accredited by ACEJMC, one of only two programs in the state (the other is UA). This is an evaluation by an organization representative of academics and professionals that passed us on all 9 standards of quality.
• This review period is during COVID, when we had to shut down our main recruiting event two years in a row. We hosted Arkansas Scholastic Press Association last year and that gained us some recognition that is paying dividends this year, but will also pay down the road because many students attending the conference were 9-11 grades. We also attended this year and met with more than 100 students as part of our recruiting efforts.
• Our students have been remarkably successful upon graduation. Everyone who wanted a journalism job had multiple job offers. Our top student graduate last year is now the weekend producer for KATV in Little Rock.
• We have graduates in nearly every market in Arkansas and their support for the program is very strong.
• The need for well-educated, professionally oriented and ethically minded journalists is very great in our society. Both the Arkansas Press Association and the Arkansas Broadcast Association have expressed need for more recruits and talent in the journalism field. The value of good local journalism has never been more evident than during the recent disasters that hit our state in North Little Rock and Wynne. Many more people would have lost their lives if it weren’t for broadcast media reporting and warning of the potential for severe weather. Many of these people were graduates of Arkansas State.
April 26, 2023
From: LILLIE FEARS
Thanks for meeting with us last week to discuss the upcoming meeting with the ADHE. I have faith that you all will represent ASU well in the meeting. Thanks.
As promised, I'm sending a little background and insight on the MMJ Program and journalism in general. I think I mentioned that I was headed after the meeting to the high school press association meeting in Fayetteville to give a short talk on the importance of journalism in a democracy, so I'm still unwinding from that talk. Anyway, for what it’s worth, here are some thoughts.
And thank you all for taking care of this for us!
1. The Multimedia Journalism Program at A-State is an accredited program and recently received full accreditation from our national accrediting agency, ACEJMC.
2. The MMJ Program at A-State has never lost accreditation. In fact, I've been through five successful accreditations since my time joining the faculty in January 1990.
3. Our graduates, recent and older, are gainfully employed in news media throughout the country and even abroad and have been for decades.
4. For a democracy such as the U.S. to function properly where it is governed by its people, the people must have a way to get the information they need to vote on issues that come up in county and city government, etc. This is where journalists come in. Journalists help to make sure the public gets the information they need to make informed decisions. And the Multimedia Journalism Program (formerly Journalism and Printing) at A-State plays a significant role in educating and training the people to perform this service. However, this is but one service journalists provide to its citizenry.
5. Journalists also help give a voice to those who can't speak for themselves, people like the poor immigrant children who were forced to work in factories in the 1800s, many of whom died while trying to operate industrial machinery; and the marginalized citizens of Flint, Michigan, and Jackson, Mississippi, who are still struggling to get safe, clean drinking water in 2023. And the list goes on. Again, the Multimedia Journalism Program at A-State, has for decades helped to train the people who can report and help improve conditions for those who are unable to help themselves.
6. Journalists also serve as a watchdog for the government. They (we) were doing this long before Watergate and continue to do so today.
7. In sum, the legendary, veteran journalist Dan Rather said it best in describing why the role of journalists is important in a democracy:
“ ... journalism is so important for our country and indeed for the world at large because ... journalism helps to challenge power and question authority, which only strengthens this nation. It can strengthen any nation, and that is the primary role of journalists, to constantly seek out the truth, or as close to the truth as it is humanly possible to get, no matter how uncomfortable that might be, especially from people in positions of power.“
Indeed, journalism is needed and fundamental to the nation, to Arkansas and to the Delta Region. And the Multimedia Journalism Program at Arkansas State is ready, willing and capable of providing the education and training that is needed to continue producing the talent for today’s journalism workforce!