Is Journalism Education Becoming Obsolete due to Citizen Journalism?

It seems as though anyone can pick up a video camera, a microphone and start a blog today and call themselves a journalist. What does this mean for journalism education?

Journalism education does not have a long history. Actually the first journalists, such as Ernest Hemingway were not actually trained in journalism. Journalists like William Zinsser were not trained in journalism either. Journalism education is a fairly recent phenomena especially in places such as Canada, where Carleton University was the first journalism school back in the 1940s. Before that, the newspaper men and women who delivered the current events were trained in other areas.

It seems as though things are coming back to those early days. The Internet is drastically changing the access that anyone can have to producing journalism. This is known as citizen journalism. Ordinary citizens are starting to pick up video cameras, a microphone, and start blogs, as well as posting information on YouTube to get their voices heard – just like journalists. In many ways this is a good thing, however – does it continue to make journalism education relevant?

I would argue that journalism education is still relevant. Many of the successful blogs that exist today are actually about mainstream news events. This shows that the mainstream news, filled with journalists that have graduated from such schools as Carleton University, Columbia University, Northwestern University and Ryerson University are still being put to good use by adding to the blogosphere. As well, because we still live in a paper driven society where the credentials one has are extremely important in landing paid work, journalism education continues to be important for the purposes of people with interests in the media to find and keep a job. It is a reality that many people who have their own blogs do not make a lot of money from it. It is possible, although people like Matt Drudge of the Matt Drudge Report are more an exception rather than the rule.

The Internet can actually be used to help improve the level of journalism education. There is more information on the web about what journalism is about and understanding media – this information can be used by professors to make the classroom a more vibrant place.

When it comes to journalism education and getting a job in journalism, it is also important about the contacts you have. Going to a credible journalism school ensures that you will have access to people who can help you to find a job. This is something that will surely help journalism schools not to become obsolete.

When I look back on my own journalism education it was one of the best things I could have done. Most people that get into journalism do so because they want to write. Going to journalism school gave me the chance to do this and make my mistakes while I was in school so I could perform better in the job market. I received many opportunities while I was school, such as traveling to Germany, Belgium and Holland and co-producing a documentary that is now in the library of the city where I went to school. Producing that documentary helped me to be involved with other documentary projects. Just being at the school started a long working relationship I had with the public broadcaster in my country where working there was like an education on to itself. Later, when I went back to school for a graduate degree, this is what helps me to know about journalism education today and to work in the field, as well as media in general. I teach at the college level and am able to continue working as a journalist to keep current in the field.

A journalism education is important, however, it is true that for anyone that has talent they will do will in the field. Many times this talent can come through work experience that can be honed by doing citizen journalism work. Equipping yourself with a studio environment right in your home can make a difference in getting your name known and out there, making all the difference in the world when you do apply for a job in mainstream or even alternative media.

I teach at a number of schools and have taught at a number of schools in the past. I have seen great success coming out of the students I have taught. Success levels higher than what I have heard from people who did not go to journalism school. Even people that went to school, however did not study journalism is still a viable option for breaking into the field. Many people do become successful this way too.

In conclusion, I would say that although citizen journalism, web based journalism or Internet journalism is a huge phenomena that is challenging the meaningfulness of mainstream media outlets, many mainstream media outlets are actually combating this situation by “jumping on the bandwagon.” Places such as CBS plans to have many of their programs go online so they take advantage of the power of the Internet. The real answer that journalism schools need to do to find a solution to the challenge of citizen journalism is to make sure they are offering courses and programs that answer to the power of the web. Their students must be prepared to work in the virtual world and prepare to potentially receive employment that is completely web based. This is future, things will not change any time soon.

How to Start Studying Abroad

Studying abroad is an excellent experience – if you get the opportunity it is worth it in so many ways. Here are some tips on how you can start to plan for studying abroad.

Many schools have an international centre where you can inquire about studying abroad. Most schools also have links with certain universities around the world where you are able to study there. For example, the University of Toronto has a link with a school in Florence, Italy where you can study architecture and design. What a terrific experience this would be for anyone.

As well, there are certain campus based travel agencies that will give you the opportunity to study abroad.

Going on a student exchange is another option for studying abroad. You can organize this through your school and check your school's course calendar for more information.

As well, there are schools such as Seneca College that bring international schools on campus so students can find out about their options to continue their studying through travel and learning. Make use of these information sessions and when school representatives are on campus, ask as many questions as you can and find out all the information you need.

Once you have made the decision to study abroad, you will need to make sure you have the necessary health shots that may be needed depending on what area of the world you will be studying in. You will need to arrange accommodation – it is always recommended to live on campus until you get to know the city. As well, make sure you have your passport and other information in order.

Does Online Education Pack on the Freshman 30?

Distance education can be seen as quite a sedentary act. If you are sitting at the computer for hours on end, without any exercise...this could be something that could help someone put on weight. Even for people who go to school that is not online, reports have shown that many young people are gaining 15 pounds from eating cafeteria food in their first year at college or university. What happens if you are studying by correspondence? Does online education pack on the freshman 30?

Many students who are young people and older people who chose to sit at their computer to take their courses lead busy lives. Many times their reasons for not physically going to college or university is because it is simply more convenient for them to study and to take classes from home. They have the advantage of being part of a social network with education at its focus. It is easier to squeeze in the time to do the lessons.

Many of us also know that as we spend a lot of time at home in front of the computer, it is much easier to reach the refrigerator, order a meal or take time to cook a meal. The urge to get hungry could happen often and there may be no one around to manage our eating habits. A student who studies from home could be eating just as badly as some of the food in the cafeterias on the campuses of colleges and universities all over North America. The virtual campus is accessible by computer, plus a bag of Doritos to munch on while you are doing your homework. Doritos, added with too many servings of Kraft Dinner, plus some french fries ordered at Swiss Chalet could end up doing more damage – if coupled with inactivity. At least the freshman student on a college or university campus gets the opportunity to walk around.

The question still remains unanswered though. Does online education pack on the freshman 30? At the end of the day and at the end of your semesters, that may be more a question of how active virtual students are in their lives when they are off the computer. Are they making time to go to the gym? Are they taking time to have breaks so they can go on walks? Do they have children that are helping them keep fit by having to chase after them? Do they work in physically strenuous employment? Are they meeting with other online students to study the course material? Is the act of typing alone an exercise more physical than it is mental?

With these questions answered by each student who is studying over the Internet, it would be easier to determine if online students would actually gain more weight than students who actually have to get up and go to classes. I will attempt to use my own experience as an example.

When I was doing my undergraduate education, I lived a fair distance from the school. It would take about 40 minutes to walk there one way. Due to the fact that I did not have a lot of money when I was in school, I would walk to school to save on bus transportation costs. So I did receive exercise walking to and from school. This was different from when I was in my first year of university when I lived on campus. At this time, I avoided eating the cafeteria food and lived on Hickory Sticks and Skor bars in fear of gaining weight. I would walk through the tunnel system and spend as much time walking as I could. I also spent a lot of time in the first semester going out dancing at clubs in a city not far from the school.

In my second year though, and subsequent years, I would walk 80 minutes a day, plus work out at the school gym. This kept my weight down low. As well, when I was in graduate school, my weight was higher than it was in my first experience with higher education, however I would still take time to exercise.

Studying online is similar to working many desk type jobs. Once I got into the world of work, I would spend a lot of time at the computer and exercise became less important to me. I have found over the years that a lack of exercise is one reason why I am not even close to the weight I was at during my school days. I would imagine that the same would happen to a student who was studying through distance education and lived a non active lifestyle. Perhaps it would be possible to gain more weight through the experience of a virtual classroom compared to studying on a campus.

OK, now it is time to discuss solutions to the potential of packing on the freshman 30 through a web course or program. Now that the problem has been presented, it would be important for anyone who is studying in a virtual classroom to also make sure they are doing physical exercise. It would also be important to make sure your food choices are healthy ones, because everyone has to eat – at least most of us. Choosing fresh fruits and vegetables, versus a bag of Doritos or Lays would be the first and obvious choice. Reducing one's amount of coffee intake to a maximum of one a day would be ideal for your health. Coffee is known to stimulate all kinds of things such as diabetes. If you cannot dream of living without coffee, try tea instead. There are so many varieties out there, I am sure whether it is herbal tea or black tea, you would be sure to find one you like. As well, it is important to minimize the amount of meat you eat. It is always better in general and as a rule for even ruling out illnesses such as cancer that you try to choose fish and chicken over beef and pork.

I know these things are hard to do. I am hardly saying I am perfect at it myself even though I know what are the right things to do. Truly the key is exercise. If you can at least get a half hour walk in every day, and I mean on the weekends too, this would really help you to be healthier. If you do not enjoy walking, you can always choose an exercise that truly suits the kind of person you are. As long as you are keeping active...this is the key. This way you can prevent putting on the freshman 30 and continue to have the convenience of studying online.

10 Most Popular Tourism Programs

There are so many tourism and hospitality programs to choose from and it is definitely an exciting field to go into. Here are some of the most popular ones.

The University of New Brunswick has a strong tourism program where you can learn everything you need to know to work in this industry. Considering that tourism in the Maritimes is picking up each and every year – there would be no better place to do your education than a school like the University of New Brunswick.

The province of Saskatchewan is another place in Canada where tourism is picking up and the market is strong. At the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology they have an interesting tourism program that will allow you to work in that province, or any where in Canada.

Seeing the popularity and interest that many people all over the world have in the Aboriginal culture of Canada, the Native Education Centre in British Columbia offers Aboriginal people a chance to enter the tourism industry and to enter a field where they can share their culture with others.

Toronto being one of the busiest tourist attractions in Canada, George Brown College has a excellent tourism program that attracts many students each and every year. It is an extremely popular program.

With the Discover Ontario advertisements that play throughout Canada, it is not just Toronto where chances to get into the tourism industry exist. Canadore College in North Bay offers a great tourism program that is so popular that they have people traveling from other places around the world to take the program.

Again in the Maritimes, the Nova Scotia Community College offers a tourism program.

As well, in the western part of Canada, there are so many tourism programs to choose from. The College of the Rockies in Cranbrook, British Columbia offers a terrific tourism program. So does SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary, Alberta.

If you are looking for a fun and interesting tourism program that is a little different, you may be interested in the University of the Fraser Valley that specializes in adventure tourism. As well, moving back to Ontario, Fleming College offers an ecotourism and adventure tourism program in Haliburton, Ontario that is a program that answers to the needs of our changing planet.

10 Most Popular Media & Recording Arts Programs

There are so many terrific media and recording arts programs in Canada and the United States that are popular – it is hard to know where to start. There is a list below though.

Carleton University has one of the oldest and most respected media programs in Canada. This program has produced graduates that are in areas of media all around the globe. Some its notable graduates include the late Peter Jennings.

Concordia University in Montreal also has a strong media program that has such notable graduates as Jeannie Lee with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and Scott Laurie with CTV Newsnet.

McGill University in Montreal also has a great reputation with many of its graduates working all over the world. Their strength lies in the communication programs at the graduate level.

Ryerson University has an excellent media program and in most places in Toronto, where Ryerson is located, you will find a graduate from Ryerson.

Centennial College in Toronto also has a really strong media program. They have developed some excellent journalists that are working in all parts of media and PR practitioners that are working all over the world. They are also about to start a sports journalism program beginning in January of 2009.

Humber College has a really popular media program. Their graduates go on to terrific success all over the world.

Guelph-Humber University is still a relatively new school, however has an excellent media program that has everything from public relations, image arts and journalism. Their graduates are starting to make a foothold in the field of media that proves that the school is here to stay.
mailto:Seneca@York
Seneca College at York University and in the School of Communication Arts has an excellent program that focuses on broadcast journalism. They also have a summer institute that has a strong reputation. One of the more notable graduates of their program is Melissa Grelo on CP24 with Rogers. They also have a strong independent music production program, as well as a fairly new independent digital photography program.

Sheridan College also has an excellent media program that tends to produce animators that work in such places such as the United States for Disney.

Simon Fraser University is a more academic type of school when it comes to media. Many of its graduates become well-respected scholars in the area of media and communications.

The University of Regina also has a great reputation when it comes to media education. Some its notable graduates include the award-winning journalist Rita Shelton Deverell of Vision-TV.

King's College at Dalhousie University has a fantastic reputation and many of the journalists working throughout Canada, as well as in the Maritimes are graduates of that school.

Ottawa University also has a strong media program. Algonquin College also located in Ottawa has a media summer institute that has a terrific reputation.

For French-speaking schools l'Université du Québec à Montreal has an excellent reputation for producing journalists that work in French.

Plus, back in Ontario, Durham College in Ajax has a strong media program.

Some of the more notable American schools include:

● Columbia University
● Northwestern University
● University of Missouri

10 Most Popular Health Care Programs

Whether you want to be a dentist, a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist or any thing related to the health care field – these are some of the most popular health care programs in North America.

At many of the ivy league schools in both Canada and the United States is also where you will find the most popular health care programs. Many future health care professionals know that if they have a degree on their wall that is coming from a highly regarded school, this will improve their chances of being able to garner the best business and work in the best places in health care field.

McGill University is one of the top universities in Canada for studying medicine. Located in Montréal, Québec, the competition to get into the school is as competitive as all of these schools that will be mentioned.

The University of Toronto is another school with an excellent reputation when it comes to studying medicine. Again, the competition is rough and top marks, as well as strong experience and references are needed.

McMaster University has a terrific reputation when it comes to its medical school. Their medical school is also quite unique because they will also accept exceptional students that did not study pre-med before entry into the medical school. This gives people who have studied in another field such as psychology or even in the humanities a chance to pursue a medical degree.

The University of Calgary also has an excellent medical training program with a top-notch reputation.

York University is developing a medical school, however their nursing program has a strong reputation. As well, Ryerson University and Humber College also have reputable and popular nursing programs.

Conestoga College in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada also has a strong nursing program. Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario also has a good nursing program.

The University of New Brunswick has a strong nursing program and the University of Waterloo, back in Ontario can prepare many people looking to get into the health care field, as well as Wilfred Laurier University near by.

In the United States, there are many reputable institutions for doing everything from nursing, dentistry, optometry, medical school, pharmacy and many other fields in health care. Here is a list:

● Columbia University
● University of California at Berkeley
● Georgetown University
● Harvard University
● Princeton University
● Yale University
● Cornell University
● Northwestern University

10 MOST POPULAR DESIGN PROGRAMS

DESIGN IS SUCH A FASCINATING FIELD OF STUDY AND IT CAN BE HARD TO FIND THE BEST SCHOOL TO STUDY AT. HERE IS A LIST OF THE 10 MOST POPULAR DESIGN PROGRAMS IN CANADA. THERE ARE ACTUALLY A FEW MORE THAN 10 BECAUSE IT WAS SO DIFFICULT TO NARROW THE LIST DOWN TO JUST 10.

THE ONTARIO COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN (OCAD) FOCUSES EXCLUSIVELY ON EVERYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH ART AND DESIGN, AS THE NAME STATES. OCAD FOR SHORT HAS ONE OF THE BEST REPUTATIONS IN THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO, CANADA AND HAS PRODUCED GRADUATES THAT YOU CAN FIND IN EVERY FIELD OF ART AND DESIGN. FROM PAINTERS, TO SCULPTORS, TO GRAPHIC DESIGNERS TO INTERIOR DESIGNERS, OCAD PRODUCES SOME TOP QUALITY PEOPLE AND HAS SOME EXTREMELY FAMOUS FACULTY MEMBERS, WELL-KNOWN IN THEIR FIELD. THE SCHOOL IS DEVELOPING SO MUCH, THEY ALSO HAVE ADVERTISING PROGRAMS AND MASTER'S DEGREES. THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE SCHOOL ALSO OFFERING A DOCTORATE DEGREE IN A NUMBER OF YEARS.

YORK UNIVERSITY'S FINE ARTS PROGRAM HAS A REPUTATION THAT IS INTERNATIONAL. THIS SCHOOL OFFERS TERRIFIC PROGRAMS IN DESIGN AND EXTREMELY STRONG DESIGNERS HAVE GRADUATED FROM THE SCHOOL THAT CAN BE FOUND ALL OVER THE WORLD.

RYERSON UNIVERSITY SITUATED IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN TORONTO ALSO HAS A STRONG DESIGN PROGRAM. MOVING OVER TO THE WEST PART OF CANADA, THE EMILY CARR INSTITUTE OF ART AND DESIGN IN BRITISH COLUMBIA HAS A GREAT REPUTATION THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND HAS PRODUCED SOME EXCELLENT DESIGNERS.

KEEPING TO THE WEST PART OF CANADA, THE BANFF SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS HAVE SOME SUPERIOR DESIGN PROGRAMS THAT ARE HIGHLY RESPECTED IN THE INDUSTRY. THE BANFF SCHOOL ALSO OFFERS SPECIAL SUMMER PROGRAMS THAT HAVE JUST AS STRONG A REPUTATION AS THEIR LONGER TERM PROGRAMS.

THE BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY IS ANOTHER PLACE THAT HAS A POPULAR DESIGN PROGRAM. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO STUDY A DESIGN VIBRANT CITY SUCH AS MONTREAL, YOU MAY WANT TO CHOOSE ACADÉMIE INTERNATIONALE DU DESIGN INC. OR DAWSON COLLEGE. NOT FAR FROM MONTREAL IN OTTAWA IS A DESIGN PROGRAM AT ALGONQUIN COLLEGE.

HEADING OUT EAST, THERE IS A DESIGN PROGRAM IN HALIFAX AT THE NOVA SCOTIA COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN.

TORONTO HAS MANY EXCELLENT DESIGN PROGRAMS AT CENTENNIAL COLLEGE, DURHAM COLLEGE IN AJAX (NOT FAR FROM TORONTO), GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE, HUMBER COLLEGE AND SENECA COLLEGE ON YORK UNIVERSITY'S CAMPUS, ALSO KNOWN AS Seneca@York IN THE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION ARTS.