Events Listings: Whither Journalism Education in the Middle East

The Department of Mass Communication, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Global Media Journal-Arabian Edition present:

Whither Journalism Education in the Middle East 

Among the hottest topics of discussion in the Middle East media circles is the proliferation of universities and training centers that offer journalism and mass communication programs. Thousands of young communicators are graduated every year into an uncertain job market, possessing various skills levels, and lacking career focus. Communication programs are among the most popular majors at universities, especially for women, and are often the largest program in schools. But what are the realities of the marketplace, and what attributes of graduates are professional media outlets seeking? To help answer these questions, the American University of Sharjah is sponsoring a two-day conference in English and Arabic for educators, media professionals, and students.

Papers and panel proposals in English or Arabic are being solicited that address, among other topics:

• Best practices in mass communication research and teaching 
• Preparing students for the world of work in mass communication 
• Status of ethics and law courses in the region: How important are they? 
• Teaching students international standards of reporting and news writing 
• The carrying capacity of the job market: Are we churning out too many students? 
• Teaching broadcast students to write for print, and print students to broadcast: what's the status of convergence media programs 
• Fighting the last war: Are we teaching journalism conflict studies properly? 
• Strategic communication: it's not just advertising and public relations any more. 
• Graduate school for mass communication students: go abroad and study at home 
• What do they want from us? The people who hire our students speak out. 
• What's new? Changing curricula to reflect changing interests and trends in communication. 
• Social networking in classes: good, bad or just ugly. 
• Is a university j-school degree necessary to work in mass communication? Professionals and educators continue the debate. 
• It's what you know not who you know: changes in traditional hiring practice