Let us Create New Journalists

 A Lutheran proposal for a reformation of the media

By Uwe Siemon-Netto

 

The following proposition was forwarded to the Presidents of all Concordia Universities in February 2007. Now I am offering it again because it has become evident that nothing seems to be more important for the survival of a free society than the formation of a new kind of journalist. This proposal is nothing less than an appeal to Lutheran educators on all levels to help reform the media. This should be accomplished by developing revolutionary new ways of training reporters and editors.

 

I believe that the Lutheran doctrine of vocation provides an excellent approach for this project. Journalism, like all other vocations, should be practiced as an act of neighborly love for all citizens (not just Lutherans and other Christians) in a democracy. I have little doubt that media irresponsibility will ultimately lead to the destruction of democracy. This paper does not propose the formation of “Lutheran” journalists propagating their religion; instead it suggests a Lutheran Ansatz to training a new crop of secular reporters and editors eager to serve their neighbors.

 

 

1. The rationale: I attribute the perilous decline of journalism in the in the United States to the closing of the American mind as described by Allan Bloom 20 years ago. The problem is that since the 1960s, journalism has mutated from an honest craft to a pseudo-academic discipline. The most significant prerequisite of a journalist should be an almost unquenchable curiosity. But because of the flaws of liberal arts education in most colleges, fewer and fewer reporters and editors possess this vicarious sense of wonderment. They prefer to give answers rather than ask questions. The consequence is a form of journalism that no longer serves its consumers but attempts to warp their minds. Sensing this, many newspaper readers and television viewers have turned against the media and are trying to satisfy their curiosity by other means, for example blogs, a medium contemporary journalism schools do not even take into account.

 

2. A new strategy. I believe that the dangers resulting from the situation described above can only be met by developing a revolutionary new method of training journalists that endeavors not to close their minds but open them instead. The LCMS with its elaborate educational system is in a unique position to develop a pilot project for such an undertaking. It should involve congregations,

parochial and secondary schools, Concordia universities, the two seminaries and sympathetic local newspapers, Internet publications and radio  stations. Theologically this project should be based on the Lutheran doctrine of calling, which says that God assigns each and every one of us to our secular vocations. If we perform our functions to the best of our abilities out of love for our neighbors we render the highest possible service to God; this makes us members of the universal priesthood of all believers, priests serving in the left-hand kingdom. Seen from this perspective, journalists must perform their duties out of love for their readers and listeners rather than endeavoring to serve themselves. In so doing, they enable the public to perform its priestly secular functions properly, for example as voters.

 

3. The proposed program.

 

a. Pastors, congregational leaders, teachers and parents should keep their eyes open for journalistically talented young people in their care.

The chief criteria must be curiosity, analytical and writing skills, and the ability to work under pressure. Pastors, teachers and congregational leaders should urge parents to encourage such young people at an early age to consider journalism as a career.

 

b. Parochial schools and home-schooling parents should establish hands-on journalism programs. They should include new techniques opening students’ eyes and ears to developments around them, and the creation of realistic publications (perhaps web based) covering external events on al levels: the new stadium in town, local politics, human interest features, exhibitions and the like. Retired journalists living in the neighborhood should be recruited to guide these classes.

 

c. At Lutheran high schools, bona fide journalism classes should be established and given high status. Students should be encouraged to work freelance for local news outlets, and be given academic credit for this. Students should be made to think globally. They should be taught to read international news stories in foreign Internet

publications (this could be combined with foreign language teaching, though some European newspapers and magazines have English-language online editions), and made to write summaries and analyses of world events based on these readings plus additional information.

This must be accompanied by solid and consistent theological instruction in the vocation doctrine.

 

d. After graduation, there should follow two years of on-the-job training at local secular newspapers, internet publications, radio stations etc. High school graduates should work “on the beat” as cub reporters, trainee editors and the like.

 

e. Next, these students should enter Concordia Universities with journalism programs (yet to be created), while maintaining their professional contacts with the news outlets that trained them. This presupposes that Concordia Universities establish theoretical journalism courses tailor-made for this particular media program, teaching theory, journalism ethics, media history and similar subjects. The Concordias would grant students academic credits for on-the-job training, and for continuing journalistic work during summer breaks and spare time. The universities should hire seasoned journalists, perhaps retirees, as instructors. Other faithful Christian colleges and universities should be encouraged to participate in this program on the understanding that it does not envision the formation of “Christian journalists” but the professional training of Christians for service in the secular press.

 

 

Comments

[Tobin Beck]

First, I believe it is vital for citizens in a democracy to have an understanding of international and domestic issues. The way people get this understanding is mainly through the news media, and it’s a habit of reading-listening-watching that starts when people are young. Second, the news media in many cases does a lousy job of providing context and background to enable people to fully understand issues. The background information that is available is hard to track down and takes some work to dig out. This is one of my biggest pet peeves with my colleagues in news, and something I plan to work to remedy with my graduate work in political science/journalism. Third, I believe a solid education in journalism teaches the skills of critical thinking, which are essential for news consumers – and writers – to be able to discern fact from fiction, fact from opinion, bias and prejudice from balanced fact-based reporting, and whether opinion writing is logical and anchored in fact. Whether it’s lumped under the term “journalism” or called something else, the teaching of these skills and the instilling of the habits of good stewardship go hand in hand – teaching kids to know about the rest of the world, and how to process information from other parts of the world, as the first step in preparing them to work with others around the world – to spread the Gospel, and in doing so to meet the challenges of James 2:15-17 to get involved. This is the kind of education that’s essential for any Christian. In going further for training journalists, I agree with you on the importance of looking at vocations as callings – and looking at the teaching and practice of journalism in light of Luther’s instruction to put the best construction on everything. During my 30 years as a journalist, I thought of those words often and I put them into practice this way – whenever I was doing an interview, or writing a story, or editing someone else’s work, I thought to myself, does this bring out the story in a way that best brings out the full picture and is fair to all parties involved, and that gives readers-listeners what they need to understand this story and act on it? There are many opportunities for journalists to sensationalize, to make connotations negative or positive, and to steer nuances one way or the other to influence opinion. That’s why it’s vital for journalists to have a solid grounding and training in ethics – and why it’s dangerous for society if professional journalists and professional news operations that operate by these principles fall by the wayside and are replaced by “citizen-journalists” who don’t have this training or mindset. That’s not to say that “citizen-journalists” can’t take the same approach – they can, but it’s often hard for people to recognize how their own biases play into their perception and writing about issues and events. In the old days journalists got this training on the job, from no-nonsense editors like UPI’s Lou Carr. Nowadays they get it from journalism schools (one of the best of which is the University of Missouri, which has former Unipresser Wes Pippert leading its Washington program.) I’m reminded of some colleagues who came into news after working in politics – and who frequently took the position that their party’s position was the correct one. To say it another way, anyone can be a journalist -- just like anyone can be a lawyer, an electrician or a brain surgeon -- if they have the right skills and the right training. That’s why I’m excited to be at Concordia-Seward to develop our journalism emphasis into a full major. I agree with your thinking and I’m excited by your ideas, especially on incorporating this type of teaching throughout the LCMS – let me know how I can help! I also attach a paper that I wrote for George Mason University, where I was on a committee to incorporate the teaching of critical thinking skills into classroom instruction.

[Norman Teigen]

Well, there seems to be great concern whether print journalism will survive in America or not. May I suggest that everyone read a thoughtful article in the May issue of Vanity Fair on the subject.

I don't think that we need a Lutheran brand of journalism at all. We need good journalism.

Do we need Lutheran psychology? Lutheran psychiatry? Lutheran medicine?

[uwesiemon]

Norman should really read much, much more carefully. I said explicitly that I was not (repeat: not) proposing a "Lutheran brand of journalism." Nothing was further from my mind. Please read slowly and word for word,then take a deep breath and read again: "This paper does NOT propose the formation of 'Lutheran' journalists propagating their religion; instead it suggests a Lutheran Ansatz to training a new crop of secular reporters and editors eager to serve their neighbors." That's what I wrote, chum. My rationale follows, and I think it's well reasoned.

Ugh, I am beginning to despair.