Quantitative and Digital Skills of International Journalism and Communications Educators 6-10 Junio 2007 2007 Media Ecology Association Convention Mexico City Prof. Tom Johnson, et al. Institute for Analytic Journalism Santa Fe, New Mexico EEUU t o m @ j t j o h n s o n . c o m w w w . a n a l y t i c j o u r n a l i s m . c o m

Credits to Knight and Harvard for financial support Funding for the research, analysis and publication of this project has been provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as part of the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education.

Funding for the research, analysis and publication of this project has been provided by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as part of the Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education.

Co-investigators Map J. T. Johnson Institute for Analytic Journalism, Santa Fe, NM, USA Louise Yarnall Center for Technology in Learning, SRI International, Palo Alto, CA USA Maria Isabel Neuman Centro de Investigación de la Comunicación y la Información University de Zulia Maracaibo, Venezuela Ammar A. Bakkar American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE Elias Machado Universidade Federal da Bahia Salvador, Bahia, Brasil Yehiel (Hilik) Limor School of Communication, Sapir College, D.N. Chof Ashkelon, Israel Flemming Svith Danish International Center for Analytical Reporting Danish School of Journalism, Århus, Denmark Co-investigators

Journalism is… “ The central purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with accurate and reliable information they need to function in a free society.'‘ — Bill Kovach Committee of Concerned Journalists

“ The central purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with accurate and reliable information they need to function in a free society.'‘ — Bill Kovach Committee of Concerned Journalists

Objectives: Proof of concept Use low-cost tools to create online survey? Respondent Driven Sampling (“Snowball” sampling) Est. baseline for digital skills and their inclusion in curriculum Est. baseline for quantitative skills and their inclusion in curriculum

Proof of concept

Use low-cost tools to create online survey?

Respondent Driven Sampling (“Snowball” sampling)

Est. baseline for digital skills and their inclusion in curriculum

Est. baseline for quantitative skills and their inclusion in curriculum

Theoretical platform Datasphere: that conceptual place where all data exists to feed the species living in that conceptual environment. RRAW-P process Changes in Datasphere drive – or should be driving – changes in both professional and academic journalism. Sweeping changes not just in how we deliver the content, but first – and foremost – the process of how, why and what: Data In  Analysis  Info Out

Datasphere: that conceptual place where all data exists to feed the species living in that conceptual environment.

RRAW-P process

Changes in Datasphere drive – or should be driving – changes in both professional and academic journalism.

Sweeping changes not just in how we deliver the content, but first – and foremost – the process of how, why and what:

Data In  Analysis  Info Out

Species in the Infosphere The Datasphere: that conceptual environment where all information-processing species reside Lawyer Economist Insurance adjuster Driver of garbage truck Journalist Teacher Historian Cop

Journalists, et al., in Datasphere Changing Datasphere: Metabolism Latent Energy In Energy Out Species in Biosphere:

Journalists, et al., in Datasphere

Species in Biosphere:

RRAW-P Process R esearch And all the stuff that’s ever written is pumped out and continues to fill the DATASPHERE with more and more stuff. It just keeps coming, the stuff does. And it gets used, Oh YES! Used, I tell you, by …. R eporting A nalysis W riting Publish-Produce-Package- Journalists!

Path to quality, responsible journalism Qualitative Who What When Why Where How Quantitative How much/many What acategories Of what kind and degree What change What timeline 100% of The STORY

Qualitative

Who

What

When

Why

Where

How

Quantitative

How much/many

What acategories

Of what kind and degree

What change

What timeline

Methodology Recruited multi-lingual colleagues Translation of survey Promotion/recruitment Harvested U.S. e-mail addresses from accredited depts. Personal contacts and listservs Offered chance to win MP3 or iPod Used www.formsite.com as survey tool “ Cleaned” and analyzed quant. and qual. response data

Recruited multi-lingual colleagues

Translation of survey

Promotion/recruitment

Harvested U.S. e-mail addresses from accredited depts.

Personal contacts and listservs

Offered chance to win MP3 or iPod

Used www.formsite.com as survey tool

“ Cleaned” and analyzed quant. and qual. response data

Responses by language N = 228

Response by nation (n=228)

Level of instruction

Departmental Expectations/Reqs? EQ7) Does your academic unit require that faculty members make their syllabi and course calendars available online each semester?

EQ7) Does your academic unit require that faculty members make their syllabi and course calendars available online each semester?

Departmental Expectations/Reqs? EQ11) Does your journalism program have any published standards of quantitative analytic skills students are expected to meet?

EQ11) Does your journalism program have any published standards of quantitative analytic skills students are expected to meet?

Departmental Expectations/Reqs? EQ12) Does your journalism program have any published standards of computer skills students are expected to meet?

EQ12) Does your journalism program have any published standards of computer skills students are expected to meet?

Major Findings: Little use of advanced analytic tools “ Zone of suspicion”

Major Findings: Little use of advanced analytic tools

Major findings: Minimal use of digital communications & course tools Using e-mail; little else to gather data; communicate * * Avg. of scaled responses by language group

Using e-mail; little else to gather data; communicate *

Major findings: “It’s all about story.” Emphasis on writing, not analysis. We teach people how to write, but they don’t have anything to say. IF students learn quantitative skills for journalism, it’s largely through their own resourcefulness. (i.e. Faculty aren’t much help.)

Emphasis on writing, not analysis.

We teach people how to write, but they don’t have anything to say.

IF students learn quantitative skills for journalism, it’s largely through their own resourcefulness. (i.e. Faculty aren’t much help.)

Major findings Journalism students learn quantitative skills primarily in quick-hit classes; no integrated curricular approach. U.S. journalism programs offer more options for students to take courses outside journalism departments than non-U.S.

Journalism students learn quantitative skills primarily in quick-hit classes; no integrated curricular approach.

U.S. journalism programs offer more options for students to take courses outside journalism departments than non-U.S.

Major findings Non-U.S. programs require students to pass quantitative and digital skills proficiency tests to graduate Non-U.S. faculties engage in more hands-on digital activities in their classes and as part of their work.

Non-U.S. programs require students to pass quantitative and digital skills proficiency tests to graduate

Non-U.S. faculties engage in more hands-on digital activities in their classes and as part of their work.

Conclusions Educators lagging behind the changes in the datasphere in all aspects of the RRAW-P process This does not seem to be because of a lack of money or technology; A failure to invest in their own learning A failure to engage in applied research (theory  experimentation) to advance the profession A failure to look for data and methods in other disciplines

Educators lagging behind the changes in the datasphere in all aspects of the RRAW-P process

This does not seem to be because of a lack of money or technology;

A failure to invest in their own learning

A failure to engage in applied research (theory  experimentation) to advance the profession

A failure to look for data and methods in other disciplines

Conclusions While definition of journalism changes, journalism educators focus more on teaching only “journalistic writing” and, perhaps, photojournalism. Journalism education must recognize a much broader definition of the field; evolve the curriculum to reflect the changing datasphere.

While definition of journalism changes, journalism educators focus more on teaching only “journalistic writing” and, perhaps, photojournalism.

Journalism education must recognize a much broader definition of the field; evolve the curriculum to reflect the changing datasphere.

Possible causes; possible consequences Continuing negative symbiosis between professional journalism and journalism education Journalism – and journalism graduates – becoming increasingly superficial. Ergo  Irrelevant Ultimately, democracy pays the price

Continuing negative symbiosis between professional journalism and journalism education

Journalism – and journalism graduates – becoming increasingly superficial. Ergo 

Irrelevant

Ultimately, democracy pays the price

Demo Formsite and display of results Use screen shots for speed.

Use screen shots for speed.

URL of where to see survey’s results http://www. iajjoursurvey . shorturl .com/

http://www. iajjoursurvey . shorturl .com/

Quantitative and Digital Skills of International Journalism and Communications Educators Prof. Tom Johnson, et al. Institute for Analytic Journalism Santa Fe, New Mexico EEUU t o m @ j t j o h n s o n . c o m w w w . a n a l y t i c j o u r n a l i s m . c o m