(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Students in Professor Raymond McCaffrey’s Spring 2020 Ethics in Journalism class at the University of Arkansas met for the last time together in Kimpel Hall on March 12. As they followed instructions about plans to cease face-to-face meetings and go to online instruction, the students received an email from university officials officially announcing the move to remote learning.
In the weeks since then, the more than 30 students have spread out from one coast of the country to the other, from Maryland to California, some of them staying around Fayetteville while others have moved to be with friends, family and loved ones throughout Arkansas and in places such as Memphis, Dallas, Kansas City, and Norman.
They have felt the course of their lives changes with each passing day. Despite keeping track of the news coverage of the pandemic, they are consumed by the same questions as many Americans. Can they get the virus and not notice any symptoms? If they get the virus and recover, can they get it again? They worry about their parents, particularly those who might be susceptible to the harshest effects of the coronavirus because they have pre-existing health conditions.
And then there are the economic hardships facing their families – one student has already had a parent laid off from work. They worry about what that economic fallout might mean for them, especially the seniors who are planning to graduate soon and are looking for work in much more fragile job market.
One in four have had an internship or longer-term job fall through. They have seen the same happen to their friends. The ones who have found work are grateful because they see so many others around them who are struggling. Some see staying in school as a source of hope, knowing that they will have an opportunity to learn and hone the skills they will need for a new economy that has yet to reveal itself.
Despite a steady news diet that some agree has become excessive, certainty is not in great supply. Envisioning the future is a challenge. They would like there to be a sense that things are more under control. They would like things to get back to normal, though there is also a sense that that is not going to happen anytime soon, if at all. They wonder what the long-term changes will be in a culture that has changed so amazingly fast.
There is also a sense of appreciation for those who are on the front lines of the fight against the pandemic: not just the doctors and nurses and health-care workers, but the people who help produce the food they eat and put it on the grocery-store shelves where they shop. Might there be a move by more people to work for the greater good of society?
And, finally, they have considered journalism ethics in real-time, not just a subject outlined in their textbooks, and its importance in a democratic society in crisis.
Virtual Lecture from Professor McCaffrey: April 23, 2020
Today’s lecture will shift back to looking at the business side of journalism during the global pandemic. We will delve into the state of the journalism business for those hoping to enter the field.
As I mentioned in our poll question, we have seen how economic pressures have affected the industry, especially the part concentrated on producing local news. Hopefully, we have learned that journalists at least hypothetically stand a better chance of meeting ethical standards when they have the financial support to concentrate on their journalistic mission. And a crucial part of a healthy news industry involves being able to enlist new generations of journalists to join in that greater mission.
Here’s a link to some Poynter Institute stories about how journalists and journalism educators are responding to the economic developments that have resulted in a reduction in internships and jobs available for students.
Mizzou is funding internships — what’s your school doing? Plus job-hunting skills and mentoring help
Here’s what’s happening to all those summer newsroom internships
The Poynter Institute is also offering a free online seminar for students and others looking for jobs and other opportunities in the business.
Here is a link to a Chronicle of Higher Education story about efforts to help students.
Here’s a report from one journalism school that is engaged in a novel response to supporting the journalism industry during the crisis.
The news business is not the only industry struggling. Here are some links to news stories about how the changing economy is affecting employment in other industries.
Summer Internships Won’t Be the Same This Year, The New York Times
For the Class of 2020, a Job-Eating Virus Recall the Great Recession by David Yaffe-Bellany and Jaclyn Peiser, The New York Times
College students’ future jobs take a big hit by Neal Rothchild, Axios
One can view these stories like ones about the virus itself. Stories that give us accurate and timely information might be alarming, but they can also help outline the formulation of a path to a better future.