Missouri School of Journalism

American journalism school From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Missouri School of Journalism, housed under the University of Missouri[1] in Columbia, is one of the oldest formal journalism schools in the world. The school provides academic education and practical training in of journalism and strategic communication for undergraduate and graduate students across several media platforms including television and radio broadcasting, newspapers, magazines, photography, and new media. The school also supports an advertising and public relations curriculum.

TypePublic
Established1908 (1908)
FounderWalter Williams
Parent institution
University of Missouri
Quick facts Type, Established ...
Missouri School of Journalism
TypePublic
Established1908 (1908)
FounderWalter Williams
Parent institution
University of Missouri
DeanDavid Kurpius
Academic staff
80+
Students2,250+
Undergraduates2,000
Postgraduates250
Location
Columbia
,
Missouri
,
U.S.

38°56′53″N 92°19′42″W
Websitejournalism.missouri.edu
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Founded by Walter Williams in 1908, the school publishes the city's Columbia Missourian newspaper and produces news programming for the market's NBC-TV affiliate and NPR member radio station.

In its "Missouri Method," in addition to classroom study students practice journalism in real-world outlets.[citation needed]

In 1930, the school established its Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism. The faculty selects medalists based on lifetime or superior achievement for distinguished service; each year a different aspect of journalism is selected for recognition. In 1960, the school established the Penney-Missouri Awards to recognize women's page journalism "that went beyond traditional content."[2] In 1994, the awards were renamed the Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards.

History

Two stone lions, a gift to the school by the Chinese government in 1931, grace the arch between Neff and Walter Williams Halls.

The school opened on September 14, 1908. Its founding was urged by Joseph Pulitzer, following lobbying by Walter Williams, the editor of the Columbia (Missouri) Herald and a university curator. Williams became the official founder. This came 13 years after the defeat in the Missouri State Senate of a bill to establish a chair of journalism at the University of Missouri. Previously newspapers usually required apprenticeships. The Missouri Press Association began supporting the proposal in 1896.

The first day's class published the first issue of the University Missourian, which was to become the Columbia Missourian. Williams was the first dean. Among the original faculty members was Charles Griffith Ross, who would become press secretary for President Harry S. Truman. It was initially based in Switzler Hall.

In 1910, the school began its Journalism Week celebration. On March 10, Kappa Tau Alpha was founded.

In 1919, Jay Holcomb Neff Hall, the first building formally assigned to the school, was built by a donation from Andrew Neff, a 1913 journalism graduate, in honor of his dead father, a former Kansas City, Missouri mayor and publisher. At the time, it was the largest donation in the university history.[1]

In 1921, the school offered the world's first master's degree in journalism. In 1930, it created the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism. In 1934, it offered the world's first Doctor of Philosophy degree in journalism. In 1936, the school began offering broadcast courses in conjunction with KFRU, the radio station owned by the St. Louis Star-Times.

In 1944, Professor Clifton C. Edom and his wife Vi, in association with the school, developed the "News Pictures of Year Competition and Exhibition," now "Pictures of the Year International". A year later, they started the "College Photograph of the Year" program.[3][4]

In 1953, the university launched KOMU-TV, the only university-owned full-power commercial television station in the US, used as a training lab for students who provide its news programming. In 1958, the school opened the Freedom of Information Center, the world's first academic center dedicated to the topic. In 1971, the school switched its radio news programming to KBIA, a National Public Radio station.

In 1957, George McElroy, a pioneering black journalist from Texas, became the first African American to receive a master's degree in journalism from the university.[5]

Professional organizations

Affiliated professional organizations and programs include:

Accreditation

  • Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.

Notable alumni

Main article: List of University of Missouri alumni § Journalism

References

Further reading

External links

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