Professionalism and the Derision of Diversity: The Case of the Education of Journalists

Abstract

My objective with these few comments is to remind us of the inherent tension between what is ordinarily understood as professional knowledge and what most of us say we recognize as the importance of diversifying our curricula. My premise is that professionalism versus pluralism is an unfortunate but enduring dichotomy, deeply rooted in our culture and in our institutions of higher edu cation, and any effort to dislodge it will require a sustained and programmatic assault on prevailing assumptions about what professionals should know and how they should know it.I begin with a brief review of what diversity means as an epistemological claim and how that claim has been trivialized in our programs of journalism and mass communication. From there I move to a broader discussion of the contradictions between professionalism and diversity, arguing in effect that professionals typically operate with assumptions and attitudes that can be fairly described as ethnocentric. I conclude with reference to Donald Schon's (1983Schon's ( , 1987) study of the "reflective practitioner," which I use as an opportunity to suggest how students can be equipped (and how we can equip ourselves) to combat the indifference to difference that is, I believe, the inevitable by-prod uct of a professional education.

Research Review: Hear the Silent, See the Absent-local solutions for a global problem: the development of jourNet

“…George Bernard Shaw's proposition that "all professions are conspiracies against the laity" has been reiterated and explored by more recent thinkers such as Larsen (1977) and Glasser (1992). Nevertheless, implicit in all their criticisms of professional arrogance and condescension is the very forceful notion that the professions should serve the laity.…”

“…Professional practitioners are not very good at putting their knowledge into words (Schon, 1983, pp. 49-51;Torstendahl and Burrage, 1990, p. 70;Glasser, 1992). It is therefore pointless to try to write down that knowledge in precise and meaningful learning objectives as Bloom (1956) did, let alone seek to apply those objectives globally.…”

Contested Autonomy

“…The hierarchical news work environment includes not only reporters but also editors, whose job involves ensuring that information reaching the public is ethically sound (Friend, Challenger and McAdams, 2000;Keith, 2005). In other words, while the profession itself seeks to exercise autonomy from outside control, individual professionals actually give up personal autonomy to a significant degree (Glasser, 1992;Merrill, 1974).…”

Who are these Guys?

“…Some fear that professionalism, especially as it is taught in journalism programs, stifles the diversity that is a core strength of a free press, implying homogeneity and standardization rather than healthy differences among journalists (Glasser, 1992).…”