Journalism as an academic field in the United States has frequently changed and grown through new professions and new industries coming under its umbrella (sometimes but not always driven by technological and/or economic changes) and academic developments such as cultural studies and media studies. But journalism is still rooted in good storytelling, and social scientific and other academic approaches are, and should be, oriented toward developing, testing, and refining theory. Educators, researchers, and practitioners must collaborate more. (Contains 11 notes.)