In response to an increasing demand for niche journalism, several universities have decided to introduce Business Journalism as a new major.
Most journalists tend to have a general liberal arts degree and it's not often that they specialize in any one subject. Their reports about in-depth business news, such as stock market fluctuations or the reasons behind increased gas prices, tend to be more generalized and somewhat slanted to their own understanding. Because of this many business professionals reject general news publications, instead looking to more specialized sources like the Wall Street Journal.
Dr. Ken Cyree, dean of the School of Business, said he collects his news from a variety of sources to get a breadth of coverage, but generally avoids sources that aren't business publications. “I rarely get news from general news publications,” Cyree said. “I could be unusual in that regard, but I bet I am not.”
Business Journalism is designed to provide a solution to this issue. The program allows for an opportunity to specialize in covering business news. The goal is to provide students with the skills to write a good story about business and the knowledge to back it up – all in one major.
Dr. Will Norton, dean of the Meek School of Journalism, said the University of Mississippi currently doesn’t offer Business Journalism as a major. Norton doesn't agree with the idea of having niche journalism majors. Instead, he believes that good journalists will seek additional degrees in specific areas to give them their own specialization. “If you're going to be a good business journalist, first you're going to be a good journalist,” Norton said. “Then you're going to get at least a minor in business and probably more than that.” Norton stressed that the most important thing a good journalist needs is basic journalism skills. “The ones that really thrive are the ones that know how to write,” Norton said. “A lot of people know business really well; but if you can't write about it, what good is it to you?”
Deb Wenger, assistant professor of journalism and director of undergraduate studies, said she believes that specialization is important; however, it's just not the focus for the journalism school at Ole Miss. “Our focus in on new ways to capitalize on technology to create new forms of journalism business – not how to cover business,” Wenger said.
For those interested in one major that offers a mix of journalism and business courses, however, Ole Miss does offer Marketing Communications and will soon offer Integrated Marketing Communications.
Both degrees combine a mix of journalism courses to hone students' writing skills and business core classes to give students a better understanding of business. Marketing Communication students also study advertising, consumer behavior, and additional marketing courses. “Graduates will be able to understand business while possessing the writing, broadcasting, or public relations skills necessary to compete effectively in the marketplace,” Dr. Ken Cyree said.
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