Journalism studies has returned to UCLA “”mdash; at least for the
summer.
For the first time since the undergraduate journalism program
stopped being offered at UCLA, students will have the opportunity
to study journalism for credit.
UCLA Summer Sessions and the Department of Speech and
Communication Studies have joined efforts to produce the Summer
Journalism Institute at University of California, District of
Columbia in Washington, D.C.
The UC Washington Center is a UC complex that provides UC
students and faculty with opportunities to research, work, study
and live.
Students who enroll in the summer program will travel to
Washington, D.C., for a five-week, eight-unit communication studies
course covering everything from the basics of print journalism to
broadcast.
The course covers journalistic ethics and writing structure,
featuring guest speakers from differing government agencies,
lobbying groups and media outlets; it is also followed by an
optional internship at a local news organization for further
academic credit.
The class is beneficial to students looking for journalism
courses “”mdash; something UCLA and most sister campuses lack.
Currently, UC Berkeley is the only UC campus that offers
journalism courses for credit at the Graduate School of
Journalism.
There are several versions of the history of when the journalism
department left UCLA.
Steven Angelo, the summer sessions finance manager, has been
working for the university for 23 years “”mdash; since his senior
year at UCLA in 1983.
Angelo, who studied communications, recalls a rumor among
students that the reason UCLA cut the journalism program from its
catalog during his last year was because some believed the subject
was more appropriately a professional study and less an
undergraduate program.
Jane Bitar, the management services officer for the speech and
communications department said that UCLA used to offer a journalism
program that was discontinued in the 1970s for budgeting
reasons.
The faculty for that program folded to the speech department
because that was the closest study to journalism and eventually,
fewer professors originally in the journalism department stayed,
Bitar said.
Similarly, Angelo also said “some of the journalism
program slowly sort of absorbed into the speech and communications
major.”
Communication studies is a close discipline of study to
journalism. This may be one of the reasons for its increasing
popularity, along with the program’s close ties to
entertainment and speech disciplines, Bitar said.
“I don’t know if this summer course is any
indication (of the return of a journalism program to UCLA), but I
know the department just thought this would be a fantastic
opportunity for students to be in the field with a professional
journalist,” Bitar said.
Bitar expects a high demand for the course because she believes
many students would be interested in such a hands-on course, but
does not think it is feasible to have similar courses offered in
the school year because of the dynamics of the course and its
required fieldwork.
Consequently, the popular communication studies program, unlike
most other undergraduate programs, requires students to go through
a competitive application process after completing prerequisite
courses for admission to the major.
This is one way for those wishing to pursue a career in the
field of journalism to gather some experience, especially because
the program takes place in Washington, D.C., where the resources
are more available, said Kathleen Micham, the marketing and
communications manager for UCLA Summer Sessions.
Micham said if there is very high demand, the program may
continue as a yearly summer program.
Andrew Gumbel, who was chosen as the instructor for the program,
is an international correspondent for “The Independent”
newspaper of London. He is also the author of “Steal This
Vote,” a book which explores flawed electoral systems in the
U.S.
Although Gumbel has never held a teaching job, he has given
numerous lectures and presentations at USC.
While lack of teaching experience may seem disabling, Gumbel
envisions the class to be a more fun and intensive hands-on,
discussion-based course in which he hopes his students can mature
their journalistic abilities.