Kansas to aspiring journalists: No more state money

[proud2BlibKansan]

Mods, I am posting this in GD and not in the KS forum because I believe this has national implications. Plus it's damn scary.

Professional journalists are well aware of the challenges facing their industry. Newsrooms and circulations are shrinking, and advertisers are looking elsewhere to spend money. Aspiring journalists in Kansas, however, are getting their own reminder of the grim situation facing the Fourth Estate.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports today (Sept. 10) that Kansas has decided to eliminate the assistance it provides for high school journalism courses, starting in the 2012-13 school year. The state believes that scarce vocational dollars should go to train students for "high-demand, high-skill and high-wage fields" — and that journalism no longer meets those criteria.

A spokeswoman for the state education department said officials "studied labor market data and concluded the field of journalism didn't have enough projected job growth" to warrant further funding, according to the Capital-Journal.

There is no word yet on exactly how much will be cut, but one high school journalism teacher in Topeka predicted it would amount to "millions and millions" of dollars. She cited state vocational dollars as the source of funding for equipment and software that helps her prepare her students for a future in journalism.

more . . . http://www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=512318

I'm wondering how much media the Koch brothers own?

[Brickbat]

1. Very interesting.

[mike r]

2. Americans for Prosperity School of Journalism

will come to the rescue very soon.

[davidinalameda]

3. did they cut funding for other vocational programs

or just journalism

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. There were probably other cuts too since there have been a ton of cuts

And if Brownback is elected governor, they will destroy our public schools with their damn budget cuts.

[Mimosa]

4. There's some sense to cutting support to educate people for fields without prospects.

We actually need more scientists, engineers and health care workers.

I know quite a few people who've been laid off in publishing and newspapers. TV reporters work for next to nothing these days too.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. I favor changing the support

rather than cutting it all together.

[Mimosa]

7. I totally agree

It seems people in Europe train for jobs which actually exist. And they don't have to bear the massive college debts which Americans carry.