The William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Kansas has the reputation of being a top-notch journalism school, yet changes and updates are greatly needed.
As a reporter and anchor for KUJH-TV, I am very disappointed in the outdated technology in both the control room and newsroom in Dole. We need new lighting in the studio, a new set design and new software among numerous other things. If the administration would look at our journalism schools competition, like on the local level, the University of Missouri or on a national level the University of Maryland or the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, they would see journalism programs that have surpassed our own with the integration of media across all platforms within their programs. These journalism schools have grown and adapted to the daily changes in television media, unlike K.U.'s program. Our television station could be just as successful as our competitors but people have to be willing to spend money and time to get it to that level and sadly I don't know if there are a lot of people who are that willing.
As I think about graduation in May and our looming economy, it forces me to consider graduate schools. I would love more than anything to obtain my master's degree from the University of Kansas but I refuse to pay thousands of dollars to get my master's from a school that does not keep their television station's equipment, technology and learning up-to-date. I have decided that when I do go back to school for my master's in a few years that I will more than likely attend the University of Maryland. They have a top-notch program that has just been updated with new learning facilities that include a multi-media "news bubble" lab, four 18-seat news labs, three seminar rooms, a third-floor devoted to professional training centers and the Richard Eaton Broadcast Theater. How can K.U.'s television station even begin to compete with the newly renovated journalism school at the University of Maryland when our station is so outdated?
I am not placing blame on anyone; instead I am trying to get the point across to students and administration that if we want to keep the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications' reputation as a top-notch journalism school WE have to maintain it. The fate of this journalism school rests in the hands of its students and administration. I would love to see students and the administration show some passion and desire in maintaining that reputation through dedication of both time and money. We have so much talent in our journalism school but maybe our program needs to set some goals, update our technologies and find students who are willing to commit themselves whole heartedly to helping the journalism school reach those goals.
