Inspired by the series on social media by Danny Brown, “Discussing JMC with…” features a collection of interviews with academics from across the U.S. and abroad discussing current topics and trends in journalism and mass communication.
Amy Schmitz Weiss is an assistant professor in the School of Journalism & Media Studies at San Diego State University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 2008. Dr. Schmitz Weiss is a former journalist who has been involved in new media for over a decade. She also has worked in business development, marketing analysis, and account management for several Chicago Internet media firms.
Her research interests include online journalism, media sociology, news production, and international communication. She has presented her research at several national and international conferences. Recent publications include a co-authored peer-reviewed journal article and a co-authored book that was published in December 2007. She is presently researching the role of collaborative processes in newsrooms in the United States and abroad. Dr. Schmitz Weiss is also investigating the importance and benefits of online distance education for the journalism industry as an innovative force in collaborative work and its ability to support journalistic communities of practice.
How do you define mass communication?
Mass communication aims to provide a wide lens on communication that encompasses a variety of mediums and messages and how the actors and audiences/publics interact with it.
How do you keep your students excited about working in the field of communications in light of shrinking job opportunities?
I tell the students that this is not a time of downturn but opportunity and innovation. I tell my students that they are on the edge of pioneering new forms of communication – whether it is in public relations, advertising, journalism or media studies – they will be part of a transformation that will be unlike any other seen before. I inform them of case studies that are happening everywhere around us daily – to serve as role models and for inspiration.
What changes do journalism and mass communication programs need to make in order to stay relevant today?
Be willing to think innovatively and creatively. Taking risks and experimenting with new forms of storytelling in journalism. This involves understanding the role journalism and mass communication has in the larger digital media landscape today.
If you could save one journalism and mass communication course from extinction, what would it be, and why?
I would save a course on writing and editing 101 for journalists. This is a crucial course that helps students to learn how to write well and edit text for various publications. The writing and editing skills are still paramount in our industry today despite the latest innovations in technology, distribution and delivery of information. We still need to have excellent writers and editors.
What new media tools or applications do you incorporate in your teaching? Why these in particular?
In my teaching, I use a combination of tools and applications depending on its applicability to the subject area. I am not the kind of person to use a tool or technology for the sake of it because it is there – it has to help scaffold the student’s learning.
Applications that I use with my students for my online journalism classes include Macromedia Flash, Soundslides, Audacity, FinalCut Pro, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator and some open-source applications depending on the class. These applications also help the students to be prepared for using these applications in a future job in digital media.
For tools I use social media, a course management system such as Blackboard, video, screencasts of lectures I make, and much more.
These tools are used in particular to help complement the class materials to help the students in achieving the learning objectives I set for them by scaffolding their learning in and outside of the classroom
If you could offer a piece of advice to both your fellow educators and media professionals in the field, what would it be?
Don’t be afraid to take risks and experiment. Be innovative. Be willing to go against the status quo to see how we can strive to make journalism better with the main aim of serving the public for a more informed citizenry that is required in a democratic society.
What do you see for the future of journalism and mass communication both in general and in higher education?
I think the future is bright for journalism and mass communication. We are at the beginning of a transformation that will bring exciting changes to how we communicate and interact in a digital media age. For higher education, I believe we have an exciting challenge ahead in making sure we are preparing the students of today for new positions, responsibilities, and tasks in a digital environment that has yet to be fully developed or evolved. It’s an exciting time to be in this industry – as a practitioner or educator!!