Studying squabble divides world of journalism

An internet influencer in the education sector has triggered a heated debate on the value of journalism majors in universities after he claimed that they are of little use in real life, only to be rebuffed by a professor in communications.

During a livestream session in early June, Zhang Xuefeng, founder of education company Fengxue Weilai and an influencer making videos of consultations on postgraduate major selection, said he would "beat the living daylight out of his child" and change the application for something else should his child plan to choose journalism as their university major, adding that "any blind draw of lottery of majors would be better than journalism".

He said that with the development of technologies, everyone can be a part of we-media. Of those who actually studied journalism, some 80 percent did not end up working in the sector, and typically, those who do graduate from the major do not receive good salaries.

Zhang Xiaoqiang, a professor in communications at Chongqing University's School of Journalism and Communication, hit back, saying the words were "harmful and misleading", and that any journalism majors in China's key universities will be a "no-brainer" if chances are presented.

He further criticized the influencer for "reaping the profits of mass communication while smearing it", adding that those who believe that the only "matching" way out for journalism majors is working in the media are too narrow-minded.

Zhang Xuefeng defended his opinion and said that he only gave his suggestions on choosing majors from the most practical scenario, adding that students from common families that are less well-off financially should choose their majors carefully.

He also pointed out that Zhang Xiaoqiang, an academic, only has a fraction of the social media followers he has, having more than 6 million fans on Sina Weibo.

Their tit-for-tat raised discussions online about the value of journalism majors. While more netizens sided with the influencer, the professor received more support from the world of academia.

Journalism majors in China have evolved significantly in recent years, with more courses being taught about media integration and internet communications, and fewer about traditional media forms. 

In 2020, the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing stopped admitting journalism students at undergraduate level, while expanding recruitment for postgraduates, underlining the responsive nature of university journalism education in the face of a changing industry.

The journalism education sector is also reflecting on some of its own deficiencies.

"In many fields including journalism, many scholars often congratulate each other if anyone published an academic essay on a major journal. But not many care about what discovery the scholar has made or what theoretical innovation has been achieved," said Zou Zhendong, a professor in communication at Xiamen University, in a social media post. 

He pointed out that the phenomenon of self-cheering within the academic circle and disengaging with the job market do exist to some extent, as Zhang Xuefeng has accused, adding that this problem needs to be improved.

But Zou also said that graduates of one major succeeding in another field is very common, and using a "non-matching" field of work to demean that major is not logical. "Those who want to practice we-media would probably not take civil engineering — Zhang Xuefeng's major — as their first choice," he said, also adding that it is also unwise to judge the communications sector simply by looking at the number of fans.

"For journalism students, we don't have to brag about how bright the future will be, nor do we give empty promises. We respect the practical concerns from applicants and parents. But for those choosing journalism for whatever reason, we will teach them with our true hearts every time we step into the classroom," Zou said.

"I believe that our journalism school students, even if they had been 'beaten the living daylight out of', would still want their professors to hear about more voices from the industry, and humbly find some wisdom in them, maybe it is (that they are) harsh and nasty words," he said.