Describes an assignment in a large lecture course ("Social Scientific Foundations of Communication") that paired each student with an "e-mail pal" who was a working professional in the field of journalism. Describes the procedure and the results, noting recurrent ideas emphasized by professionals, practical advice they offered, comments on media…

Compares broadcasting curricula of two-year and four-year colleges. Finds that most broadcast programs implement a blend of practical and theoretical courses, and that students at two-year and four-year schools are subjected to comparable course work and internship/practicum experience. Suggests that many students are not receiving enough…

Examines 106 World Wide Web sites of schools accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. Finds that these sites are primarily informal, rather than formal, in their educational and research content. Notes that educators agree that schools without a significant Web presence are ignoring the impact of…

Surveys (by e-mail) people in charge of public-relations sequences in U.S. colleges and universities regarding what computer skills they consider most useful for their students. Notes the roles of program size and breadth, and gender and age of educators. Investigates computer-skills prerequisites, useful computer skills, computer skills…

Finds that a Web-based interactive sample test, used to supplement traditional instruction in a large lecture class, was perceived by students to be a valuable educational tool, with males perceiving a more interactive version as being more valuable (Although 51% of students in the class did not try the interactive sample test). (SR)

Describes a focus group exercise used with advertising creative- and strategy-development students that was designed to cultivate awareness of the ethnic consumers' purchase-decision process. Offers an overview of the project's stages, describes the assignment, and notes that members of the original-product focus group also reviewed students'…

Discusses results of a survey of journalism and communications faculty at the University of Florida regarding the meaning of diversity: its impact on faculty members' professional life and on their concerns, hopes, and fears; resolving concerns about diversity; criteria for a diverse faculty; fairness in procedures and policies; and ensuring…

Surveys journalism and mass-communication researchers regarding the extent to which they have experienced unprofessional behavior by editors and referees in the evaluation of manuscripts. Finds that the primary complaint is that editors do not reach publication decisions within a reasonable period of time. (SR)

Describes how the author taught a class (called "Editing for Broadcasting") for 19 neophyte newspeople through total immersion: students learned how to run a newsroom while operating one. Notes that students learned the principles and fundamentals of broadcast journalism, including news judgment, writing, editing, reporting, and producing, and…

Describes how the author, a broadcasting educator, worked as a summer intern at a professional TV station in order to keep his instruction current, and to keep up on the latest stylistic and technological changes in the business. Discusses the benefits of doing so, and notes some useful information learned. (SR)

Surveys college students' perceptions of their textbooks. Finds that students consider textbooks an important part of their courses; believe that the quality of writing accounts for half of the helpful learning and 60% of non-helpful learning, with organization elements next in importance; and that mass-communication students' views differ from…

Examines 12 journalism textbooks published from 1891 to 1942, showing how their changes parallel changes in journalism and society. Provides insights into the authors' perceptions of the proper role of journalism in society, and documents changes in the way press responsibility was viewed by journalism educators and professionals. (SR)

Describes a research assignment (called "photo-elicitation") in a graduate course on the role of photography in society in which students interview people similar to the subjects in the photographs to discover how the photographs affect them. Includes material from one research project interviewing three recovering drug addicts responding to Larry…

Finds that a majority of advertising and public-relations interns found their internships successful. Indicates that successful internships depend on predictors given the least attention by school programs: quality of supervision was the most important single predictor variable, followed in importance by organizational practices/policies, positive…

Assesses outcomes of instruction in three college-senior-level courses on freedom of expression. Suggests that increased attention to freedom-of-expression issues may have resulted in broader understanding of First Amendment issues, and individual and media rights. Notes that students seem to develop an appreciation of the reflexive nature of…