Commentary: The intellectual component in best practices of journalism

Historically, the key questions facing journalism curriculum designers are: Should journalism education be about imparting a set of skills or the preparation of a philosophical mind infused with a spirit of inquiry? Is it about a way of doing or a way of knowing? The news industry have found the answers in a way that give them control over the education – or rather, the training – of journalists. Many organizations have set up their own “news universities” as have many teams of “retired” journalists. These inhouse learning centres typically have experienced journalists at the helm designing curriculum and enrolling their own journalists into training programs. An example is News College, set up by News Limited to train its journalists in editing, reporting and legal vetting of stories.