PRESS DIPLOMAS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 220, 11 June 1919, Page 10

PRESS DIPLOMAS

. JOURNALISTS' VIEWS. To a representative of the "Westminster Gazette" recently, Mr. Herbert Cornish, secretary of the Institute for Journalists, gave somo particulars of the scheme for a two years' courso ot London University for intending journalists. "It is high'lime," said Air. Cornish, "that wo had in this country a scrioudy designed and conducted scheme for intending journalists, and, although there aro courses leading to journalism at Bristol, Dublin, and Cork University Colleges, I do not think any of these enterprises are comparable to what is being done in some of the American Universities. Columbia, for instance, has an endowment fund equnl to .2250,000 . for its School, of Journalism, Missouri and other American Universities have well-endowed schools, but, whereas in this country we were the first to propound the idea of professional education for journalists, we have fallen behind America altogether. Asked about the methods to be adopted, Mr. Cornish said: "The first purpose of the charter is to apply some actual practical test of the qualifications and fitness of the intending journalist for responsible practice in journalism. The first draft of a syllabus has been prepared, and is 1 undergoing its last revision. The old idea of examination as a proof ot qualiftcatiou is taken, it may be said, for granted Our scheme goes beyond that,' and my.idea for this course that is mentioned is that if should he "broad, if not deep," shortly, that it should be a thoroughly useful course, and that a man should take subjects even at tho necessary sacrifice of depth in some of them. That will probably be the special characters of the course, but I think we shall havo to put beside that practical training in a newspaper office, in actual newspaper work, before we can be sure of bringing the intending journalist right to the heginning of journalism." Mr. Cornish added that the great number of Army men, who had written to him asking for advice as to how to become journalists, had something to do with the revival of consultations with the London University Senate on tb« subject, and he hoped to interest the Education Committee of the L.C.C., but so far they had fought shy of the idea. Asked whether the possession of this diploma would bo expected to affect employers in their selection of journalists, Mr. Cornish remarked that n barrister could not plead in the •Superior Courts unless lie had the necessary qualifications, and the same applied to the practice of doctors.