Journalism degree is no preparation for being a journalist

Not for the first time,we have some more anti journalism school comments this time from former Indy Editor Andreas Whittam Smith in this morning's Indy.

Following last week's report from the The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority that showed that:

sixth-formers can achieve A grades in media studies with "less impressive" performances than are required for English or history.

Andreas comments that

there is a problem with media studies. For they borrow ways of thinking from other disciplines such as literature, history and even economics and then apply them to TV, film, radio, newspapers, magazines, advertising and the like. This approach, second hand in its nature, has limited utility

But furthermore he goes on to say that the journalism profession

"has the characteristics of a trade rather than a profession.Work experience, which is an informal version of apprenticeship, is the best way to learn the job.......Least of all is it an academic discipline, though undertaking a demanding course in something else at university is the best preparation for it.