Focus
In the United States, many university journalism departments — particularly at Midwestern, Western and Southern state universities — evolved into schools or colleges of mass communication or "journalism and mass communication." In addition to studying practical skills of journalism, public relations or advertising, students also may major in "mass communication" or "mass communication research." The latter is often the title given to doctoral degrees from such schools, whether the focus of the student's research is journalism practice, media economics, history, law or media influence.
Departmental structures within such colleges may separate research and instruction in professional or technical aspects of newspaper and magazine publishing, radio, television, and film. Mass communication research topics include media institutions and processes, such as diffusion of information, and media effects, such as persuasion or manipulation of public opinion. Outside of media history and communication law, research methods in mass communication fields have leaned toward empirical research, experimental studies and quantitative methods, such as public opinion polling and content analysis of news media. However, qualitative research, including ethnographic case studies, interviewing, and focus groups, has growing support in some specialties. Critical-cultural theory is less popular than in other "communication studies" programs.
Such programs are accredited by the ACEJMC Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.
The International Communication Association (ICA) and National Communication Association (formerly the Speech Communication Association) include divisions and publications that overlap with those of AEJMC, but AEJMC historically has stronger ties to the mass communication professions in the United States.
Read more about this topic: Association For Education In Journalism And Mass Communication
Famous quotes containing the word focus:
“Carlyle is not a seer, but a brave looker-on and reviewer; not the most free and catholic observer of men and events, for they are likely to find him preoccupied, but unexpectedly free and catholic when they fall within the focus of his lens.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“No other group in America has so had their identity socialized out of existence as have black women.... When black people are talked about the focus tends to be on black men; and when women are talked about the focus tends to be on white women.”
—bell hooks (b. c. 1955)
“I don’t have any doubts that there will be a place for progressive white people in this country in the future. I think the paranoia common among white people is very unfounded. I have always organized my life so that I could focus on political work. That’s all I want to do, and that’s all that makes me happy.”
—Hettie V., South African white anti-apartheid activist and feminist. As quoted in Lives of Courage, ch. 21, by Diana E. H. Russell (1989)