On journalists and journalism. Trying to be unbiassed.

Sir Michael Parkinson, aka just Michael Parkinson or even Parky, has just died. In the various reports and eulogies it seemed to me that much was made of his having been a journalist and consequently approaching the job of interviewing celebrities from a journalist’s point of view. This is different from the way many chat-show hosts operate, celebrities in their own right and seeming to be good friends with whoever is being interviewed. One comment was that he always “did his homework” on the person he was interviewing. 

I did a bit of ferreting around and discovered that although Parky passed the 11+ exam and went to grammar school, he left school with only two O-Levels - Art and English Language. He was a good cricketer though! And he began his career as a journalist on local newspapers straight after leaving school. He worked as a features writer for the Manchester Guardian, and later on the Daily Express in London.

When I was growing up that was the way it was assumed you became a journalist, reporting on mundane stuff like local weddings and funerals, garden parties at local churches and the like. Even those who went to university seemed to have to go through the same kind of apprenticeship. Only much later did actual degree courses in journalism, creative writing, media studies and such like come into existence. At least that’s how it seems from my experience in education both as a student and as a sixth form tutor. 

Squirrelling around for information, I discovered that the USA had courses on journalism at the end of the 19th century.

From I culled some interesting facts: 

“Journalism, like other professions today, was not once held in esteem or regard. It was often thought to be a practice of those who would avoid "real" work. Over time, journalists began to organize as a way of gaining recognition for their craft. The first foundation of journalists came in 1883 in England; the American Newspaper Guild was organized in 1933, an institute meant to function as both a trade union and a professional organisation. From the beginning of newspapers, and up until about the mid-1800s, journalists entered the field as apprentices, starting out most often as copy boys and cub reporters. The first time that journalism was recognized as an area of academic study was when it was introduced at the university level in 1879, where the University of Missouri offered it as a four-year course of study.” 

Other universities followed suit. More specific skills were needed as radio and television introduced different forms of journalism: 

“Journalism was a common course of study by the 1950s in universities across the United States. Literature and texts on the subject of journalism grew, as well, to keep up with the demand of budding journalists and their professors. Soon the stacks were filled with anecdotal, biographical, and historical information specifically on the subject of journalism and its practitioners.”

It’s interesting that that “history of journalism ends with this:

“However, even as the world continues to change, there is an ongoing need for the printed word, even if it is delivered electronically, instead of on paper. That should be some comfort to journalists, for indeed, there is hope that there will always be the need for a free and honest press.”

I’ll come back to the “free and honest press” later.

It seems that the UK was a bit slower to get onto the academic bandwagon as regards journalism. Diplomas in journalism were more the thing: 

“Historically, the emergence of journalism diplomas reflected the somewhat condescending view of journalism education which emerged in Britain and British Commonwealth countries, unlike the United States.” “British universities were uninterested in formal journalism education, and entered the field only at sub-degree level: "between 1919 and 1939 the only University Diploma for Journalism in Britain was offered at London University"

According to Wikipedia: 

Historically, in the UK entrants used first to complete a non-media-studies related degree course, giving maximum educational breadth, prior to taking a specialist postgraduate pre-entry course. However, this has changed in recent years with journalism training and education moving to higher educational institutions. There are now over 60 universities in the UK offering BA honours degrees in journalism.”

Now, what about that “free and honest press’. Nowadays it seems that our top journalists and TV and radio news reporters all seem to be very highly educated, come from a kind of journalistic or media or diplomatic dynasty and have so many links to mostly conservative organisations that it must be hard to unbiased. According to this website 

• 54% of the top 100 UK journalists attended private school – opposed to 7% of the UK population as a whole 
• 46% of the top 100 UK journalists attended Oxford or Cambridge University – opposed to 1% of the UK population as a whole 
• 69% of the top 100 UK journalists had at least ONE clear personal tie to the British Establishment
• An incredible 26% of the top 100 UK journalists had at least THREE clear personal ties to the British Establishment
• 37% of the top 100 UK journalists had a confirmed indicated salary of over 100K a year and/or an indicated net worth of over £1 million
• Finally, 28% of the top 100 UK journalists had interests in (e.g. worked in) a field they were meant to hold to account such as politics or business – commonly referred to as the “revolving door”

Hmmm! 

Incidentally, here’s an interesting Wikipedia (I think) description of the Guardian, formerly the Manchester Guardian, where Michael Parkinson worked:

“The Guardian is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as The Manchester Guardian, and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers, The Observer and The Guardian Weekly, The Guardian is part of the Guardian Media Group, owned by the Scott Trust Limited. The trust was created in 1936 to "secure the financial and editorial independence of The Guardian in perpetuity and to safeguard the journalistic freedom and liberal values of The Guardian free from commercial or political interference". The trust was converted into a limited company in 2008, with a constitution written so as to maintain for The Guardian the same protections as were built into the structure of the Scott Trust by its creators. Profits are reinvested in its journalism rather than distributed to owners or shareholders. It is considered a newspaper of record in the UK.” That’s my underlining. 

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!