So I was just thinking about the end of composition (that sounded really pretentious of me, didn't it?), and started thinking about advertising/PR writing/copywriting in general. Okay, it was actually the other way around. I was thinking about advertising etc and then wondered: isn't the end of some composition just to produce a product that gets the job done? Okay, ALL composition has a job to get done. What I mean is, I was reading Laura's comment on my ideas for future ways to teach composition, and she asked what would happen to people who don't fall into "humanities" or "science," and I realized that in my zest to categorize people, I left out the journalists from the mix. I don't personally put PR writing, Ad/copywriting, magazine/feature writing in the same category as humanities writing. And although basic grammar is important, and an understanding of sentance structure, journalism requires writers to be more varied in their writing abilities. Well, there are a lot of different styles of writing under journalism.
POINT: Wouldn't it be useful to tell students, particularly English majors and creative writers, that they can ALSO take writing classes in Advertising, Public Relations, Magazine/feature writing, and reporting? I mean, I feel like we have this understanding of "writing" skills as transferrable, but you have to learn the various ways of writing, and styles of writing. Seems like journalism has the whole "writing across the disciplines" under its belt, in the sense that you have to learn to write in different "genres," if you will, within the discipline. And there are classes specifically designed for each type of writing. English majors never take a class on "how to write an English literature paper," "how to write a poetry analysis." We expect English majors to know how to write, without being taught. But for some reason, we don't expect that of communication majors. We teach communication majors how to write. Shouldn't we do the same for English majors? And if writing skills are really so transferrable, then shouldn't journalism majors be excused from 1301, since they're going to take all these writing specific courses anyway? Are major-specific writing courses a good substitute for 1301?
MORE SPECIFIC POINT: I wish someone had told me to major in communication instead of English. I think someone DID tell me that, and I sort of wish I'd listened.
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3 comments:
You are so right about the journalism thing and the kinds of writing -- I've been trying to convince people I work with of your exact point all semester. I hope you stay with it and go onto your doctorate or MFA because you'd make a huge difference in young people's lives if you entered the college setting as a career, whether in English or Comm.
hey kim,
just to clarify, we're meeting at J&B coffee Thursday morning around 8:30? post a comment to my blog (or talk to me in class tomorrow...) if anything changes.
val
It's not too late to switch, Kim. Lots of departments will glady let you cash in your credits toward a degree in a discipline you've mentioned. You just need to make some moves pretty quickly. However, don't expect that communication or journalism automatically mean versatility -- I don't know anyone who came out of an undergrad program in comm. or journalism who could handle classical literary treatments -- not that they don't exist -- but I have not seen the breadth you suggest. The great advantage you would have, however, is your literary study to date. You could take it with you very easily.
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