“[Y]ou could always tell the ‘communications’ ( as they call it nowdays) majors. They were either stoned, drunk or hungover.”
I resemble that remark! I’m a wasted youth/Comm Arts Major (BA ’86) and Mr Samford is right. It’s why I’m more inclined to hold media-types in contempt than most of my friends and family.
The best advice I ever heard given to aspiring journalists was: Study anything BUT journalism! That way, you actually know something about something and the writing technique will take care of itself. Worst case scenario–an editor can shine it up but only if you know what you’re talking about.
Proof: Mr Fadhil does an amazing job as a journalist (in a second language no less!) because he knows what he’s writing about and he didn’t study at Columbia or Medill to learn how to do it.
