Comments on: Or just call it the School of Marketingism and be done with it http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2007/10/24/or-just-call-it-the-school-of-marketingism-and-be-done-with-it/ Same old blog, brand new place Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:18:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.1 By: Heath Row http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2007/10/24/or-just-call-it-the-school-of-marketingism-and-be-done-with-it/#comment-3826 Heath Row Thu, 25 Oct 2007 02:31:09 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2007/10/24/or-just-call-it-the-school-of-marketingism-and-be-done-with-it/#comment-3826 I graduated from Medill with a BSJ in 1995. While the undergraduate program at the time concentrated primarily on newspaper journalism, the graduate program focused squarely on integrated marketing and a solid magazine publishing program. The focus on IMC is no surprise. Don Schultz, arguably the father of IMC, is Professor (Emeritus-in-Service) at Northwestern. Personally, I think I would have been put off by a joint journalism/IMC name or program focus. The two don't make the most comfortable of neighbors, and frankly, as you've noted, the encroachment of IMC raises some serious issues about the journalism being taught. Naming the school to include IMC would be a nice tip of the hat to Don, and he does deserve attention and respect for his work, which is highly relevant, but there are other options that would be more accurate and less concerning. Take, journalism and communications. That could embrace media studies, marketing, advertising, journalism, and other practices and professions quite comfortably. I think that would work better than Sean's suggestion of journalism and media studies because it's more active and practice/trade oriented. But had Medill done journalism and IMC so explicitly in 1991? I might very well have gone to IU instead. (Go Cats!) I graduated from Medill with a BSJ in 1995. While the undergraduate program at the time concentrated primarily on newspaper journalism, the graduate program focused squarely on integrated marketing and a solid magazine publishing program. The focus on IMC is no surprise. Don Schultz, arguably the father of IMC, is Professor (Emeritus-in-Service) at Northwestern.

Personally, I think I would have been put off by a joint journalism/IMC name or program focus. The two don’t make the most comfortable of neighbors, and frankly, as you’ve noted, the encroachment of IMC raises some serious issues about the journalism being taught.

Naming the school to include IMC would be a nice tip of the hat to Don, and he does deserve attention and respect for his work, which is highly relevant, but there are other options that would be more accurate and less concerning. Take, journalism and communications. That could embrace media studies, marketing, advertising, journalism, and other practices and professions quite comfortably.

I think that would work better than Sean’s suggestion of journalism and media studies because it’s more active and practice/trade oriented.

But had Medill done journalism and IMC so explicitly in 1991? I might very well have gone to IU instead.

(Go Cats!)

]]> By: Geoff Livingston http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2007/10/24/or-just-call-it-the-school-of-marketingism-and-be-done-with-it/#comment-3820 Geoff Livingston Thu, 25 Oct 2007 02:19:25 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2007/10/24/or-just-call-it-the-school-of-marketingism-and-be-done-with-it/#comment-3820 I can't see the value of using a term that was hot in the 90s to describe a program. If it's communications, just call it that. I agree that Media is a good incremental step. My old program at Georgetown has a good name. Communications, Culture and Technology. Interesting use of cross-discipline studies to examin the modern media environment. I can’t see the value of using a term that was hot in the 90s to describe a program. If it’s communications, just call it that. I agree that Media is a good incremental step.

My old program at Georgetown has a good name. Communications, Culture and Technology. Interesting use of cross-discipline studies to examin the modern media environment.

]]> By: Sean Upton http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2007/10/24/or-just-call-it-the-school-of-marketingism-and-be-done-with-it/#comment-3808 Sean Upton Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:42:19 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2007/10/24/or-just-call-it-the-school-of-marketingism-and-be-done-with-it/#comment-3808 I do not understand why they do not make an *incremental* change to the school/college name: to "Journalism and Media Studies" (JMS) like many universities seem to be doing. Then offer a focused Journalism major with various emphases and an interdisiplinary "media studies" major that offers a bit of Journalism, Advertising, marketing, cultural studies, etc. Infuse both with what was previously called "new media" studies, technology, design, mass-media law, etc... Seems simple enough? I do not understand why they do not make an *incremental* change to the school/college name: to “Journalism and Media Studies” (JMS) like many universities seem to be doing. Then offer a focused Journalism major with various emphases and an interdisiplinary “media studies” major that offers a bit of Journalism, Advertising, marketing, cultural studies, etc. Infuse both with what was previously called “new media” studies, technology, design, mass-media law, etc… Seems simple enough?

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