Deelreeks 6 - Correspondence within the School of Journalism

The University of King's College School of Journalism was established in 1978. In 1974, President Graham Morgan began exploring the possibility of offering journalism classes in a more comprehensive program, and had a feasibility study done by Thomas, Giffen, Seaton Associates, Ltd., to explore the possibility of initiating a journalism program. A survey to determine the degree of interest was conducted in the spring of 1975, and the consultants' report was submitted to the Board of Governors in October. The study determined that the outlook was favourable, so the Board established an advisory council, engaged an academic consultant, and presented a proposal to the Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission (MPHEC) on 1 Dec 1975, with a suggested date offall 1978 to commence operations. The President invited representatives from the local media and the Board of Governors to join the Advisory Planning Committee. The academic consultant's report was tabled in May 1976.

In 1976, King's applied to the MPHEC to institute degree-granting programs in the field of journalism. The MPHEC granted permission, and King's established two new programs in 1978: the four-year Bachelor of Journalism (Honours) (B.J.H.) degree for students with a high school diploma; and the one-year Bachelor of Journalism (B.J.) for students who already had an undergraduate degree.

The new school of journalism was to be an integral part of King's. Students would be obligated to enrol in the Foundation Year Programme and a French course. The school would be small and have rigorous entrance requirements. It would be housed in Classroom 1 in the basement of the main building. The promise of approximately $2,000 per student from the MPHEC in addition to student fees, the need for only three professors initially, the probability of help from the Government of Canada State Department, the Canada Department of Regional Economic Expansion (DREE) and the Nova Scotia Minister of Education, and increased renovation grants all combined to make the financial commitment less intimidating than the Board of Governors had originally calculated.

The school went through growing pains in its early years; there were issues with the lack of television and radio facilities and instruction, and its first director resigned in June 1979. George Bain, a renowned Canadian journalist, took on the directorship that October, and the school saw significantly increased enrolment. From 1980 to 1984, applications increased, with enrolment remaining at 20 to 30 students in each program, assuring quality of education through low teacher – student ratio. A radio room was installed in 1980-1981, although the School continued to use Dalhousie's facilities for television production. Writing for the School's student publication, The Monitor, and editing it and laying it out for printing became mandatory for fourth-year B.J.H. and one-year B.J. students.

After five years of existence, a review of the School showed generally positive results. Overall, it was perceived that applications were steady or rising, which allowed the School to enroll high caliber students.

In 1984, Walter Stewart, another noted Canadian journalist, became director, while George Bain, the former director, continued to teach at the School. All Directors' Reports to the President up to 1986 reported that a majority of graduates found placements at reputable media outlets. By 1986, the School had established internships with the Toronto Star and the chain of South Shore community newspapers operated by Lighthouse Publishing.

The University of King's College was the first university in Canada to offer a course in online journalism, and has continued as a leader in that field, with one of the few tenure-track faculties in Canada to specialize specifically in online journalism. Professors Tim Currie and Kim Kierans are co-editors (with Paul Benedetti) of Canada's definitive textbook for teaching online journalism, The New Journalist: Roles, Skills and Critical Thinking (Emond Montgomery, 2010).

In 2011, the School became the first university in Atlantic Canada to offer a Master of Journalism program. The M.J. is a "unique, new interdisciplinary program" emphasizing the importance of new technology in modem professional journalism: all graduates will be skilled in delivering multimedia content through websites, social media and mobile devices.30 The program has two streams: Investigative, concerned primarily with research and reporting methods, both traditional and emerging; and New Ventures, which equips students with "skills to develop a new journalism enterprise." The M.J. is a one-year degree (10 months of courses) aimed at students who already have a background in journalism. It offers skills transferable to public relations, marketing and other areas, but is billed as being "of maximal use to those who want to work in the news industry."