TRAINING IN NEGRO SCHOOLS
[Sidenote: ELEMENTARY TRAINING IN HIGH SCHOOLS]
Definite steps are being taken by Negro schools and colleges to
provide academic training in Journalism. Even in the high schools,
the development of a vague appreciation of, and elementary training
in Journalism is afforded by the publishing of school papers, under
the supervision of the English department. Such schools as Dunbar High
School, Washington, D. C.; Summer High School, St. Louis, Mo.; Central
High School, Louisville, Ky.; Pearl High School, Nashville, Tenn., and
Langston High School, Hot Springs, Ark., illustrate the point.
[Sidenote: COLLEGE PUBLICATIONS]
What is true of the high schools is true of the Normal and Industrial
schools and colleges on a larger scale. Approximately one hundred
periodicals are published by such institutions at least once a month.
Some of these are purely the product of the student body; a few of them
are the product of both students and faculty; still others are the
publication of the administration and faculty, and under the supervision
of a university editor. Many of the latter have developed to the
place where they are nationally known. Such periodicals as _The Fisk
University News_, _The Southern Workman_ (Hampton Institute), _Howard
University Record_ (quarterly), _The Tuskegee Student_ and _The Atlanta
University Bulletin_ (quarterly) are among the best Negro publications in
the United States.
[Sidenote: JOURNALISM COURSES AT FISK UNIVERSITY]
This, however, is not all. The training of Negro journalists is
being attempted through college courses. Fisk University, Nashville,
Tenn., perhaps, was the first school to give such courses. Under the
professorship of Isaac Fisher, one of the foremost Negro editors today,
four courses in Journalism are offered. The course as outlined in the
latest Fisk University catalog includes: (1) Essentials in Newspaper
Technique—a course including practise in writing, editing, and methods
of presentation; (2) The Law of Journalism—a study of libel, copyright,
rights and duties of the press in reporting judicial proceedings, and
the liabilities of the publisher, editor, reporter and contributor; (3)
Ethics of Journalism—lectures discussing the proper responsibility to
the public on the part of newspaper writers; (4) Art of Newspaper and
Magazine Making—a course devoted to the studying of actual work of making
a newspaper and magazine, with laboratory practice to supplement the
theory studied.
[Sidenote: PROFESSIONAL TRAINING]
What will in all probabilities mark the real beginning of professional
training in Journalism among Negroes is the opening of the proposed
School of Journalism by Howard University, Washington, D. C. Owing to a
limitation of finances, unfortunately the school has not yet been put in
operation.
[Sidenote: PROPOSED COURSES AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY JOURNALISM SCHOOL]
The course as outlined in the Howard University catalog is based upon
two years of college work, including a reading knowledge of at least
two modern languages, and advanced work in English Composition. The
professional work covers two years and leads to the degree of Bachelor
of Science in Journalism. The subjects offered are: Practice in Writing,
Newspaper Technique, Newspaper Editing, The History of Journalism,
Advertising, Journalistic French, Journalistic German, Journalistic
Spanish, Elements of Law, Freehand and Applied Drawing, and certain
college courses in History, Economics, Sociology, Literature and Politics.
[Sidenote: JOURNALISM AT WILBERFORCE]
While it does not have a separate department in Journalism, Wilberforce
University offers courses in journalistic writing as a part of the work
in the department of English. Three courses are given at present:
Business English, Short Story Writing and Editorial Writing.
[Sidenote: PRINTING]
On the mechanical side of newspaper publishing, work is offered in
printing at Hampton Institute (Va.), Tuskegee Institute (Ala.), and
Wilberforce University (Ohio). Many of the present printer-editors are
products of these schools.