OCJ builds on program offerings to meet industry shifts

June 06, 2007

As graduating students prepare to enter the industry and returning students greet a summer of opportunity, the staff members at the Olivet College of Journalism (OCJ) are working hard to build on program opportunities for future students.

Planners and staff are already beginning to augment the school's robust academic program with new courses, a larger staff, and more industry affiliates.

"Journalism is a dynamic industry," commented one OCJ staff member, who wished not to be named. "In order for schools to keep up with it, they must constantly change—renew themselves," he explained.

Developments in the media industry forecast dramatic shifts.

Last year Knight Ridder, the nation's largest newspaper chain, was broken up and sold amid struggles for profitability.

And last week, a new study released by PricewaterhouseCoopers showed advertisers are increasingly moving away from print media, and instead shifting their branding efforts online. 

Internet advertising soared 35 percent to $16.9 billion in the U.S. last year, while traditional media fell by nearly $2 billion, to $44.5 billion.

"Traditional media is still important; it's not going away," the staff member said. "But it is equally important for students to be prepared for quality reporting online as well as offline."

The San Francisco-based journalism college plans to develop its program to prepare students for the industry-wide shift to online media with courses on real-time reporting methods, online ethics, and other pervasive topics.

OCJ is also in contact with a number of industry experts and veterans interested in joining the school's staff as teachers and advisors.

The college is also working with a number of industry contacts in order to grow its professional affiliate program for its students.

"There are valuable teachings outside the classroom," the OCJ leader added. "By signing more industrial partners, more of our students can get the real-world experience needed to prepare for the professional world."

OCJ affiliates already include a variety of professional Christian media productions.

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