A controversial new curriculum unveiled this month at one of the nation's leading journalism schools is sparking heated debate over the role that marketing and technology should play in the education of future reporters and broadcasters. The most controversial change, though, is the increased emphasis on "audience understanding." Some praise the changes as long overdue; others dismiss them as a sellout. But what irks critics the most is the way they were devised. At the center of the controversy is John Lavine, who became dean in January 2006 after founding and directing Northwestern's Media Management Center, which conducts media research and provides seminars for media executives. Critics contend that the changes, which affect both undergraduate and graduate-level programs, will dilute the school's focus on strong writing and reporting--a charge the dean disputes. They bristle at the informal name change since Mr. Lavine took over--the Medill School of Journalism is often now referred to simply as the Medill School. According to Thomas Kunkel, dean of the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism and the incoming president of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication, the blending of journalism and marketing is controversial and viewed by some as "a mingling of priorities that wouldn't be healthy for journalism".