Some educators are reacting negatively to The Knight Foundation’s open letter that called for journalism education reform.

Inside Higher Ed reports that journalism professors in Chicago for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) conference are discussing the letter, and they don’t think it’s fair. Here are some of the reactions reported by Inside Higher Education.

Linda Steiner, AEJMC’s pressident and professor at University of Maryland, College Park says there’s not a one-size-fits all model:

“But my point is that the conventional j-school is rare these days: Some programs have journalism (including, often, PR and advertising) and other media fields…. Different schools have different understandings of their priorities and their mission.”

Beth Barnes, director of the school of journalism and telecommunications at the University of Kentucky and president of the Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communication says it’s not all about the latest gadgets:

[...] to her the debate seemed like a choice between teaching the fundamentals of the profession versus teaching about the “coolest, newest toy on the block.”

What do you think? Did these educators miss the point, or is Knight Foundation in the wrong?

Read more reactions in Inside Higher Ed’s full coverage →