JOURNALISTS' EDUCATION.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 129, 2 June 1908, Page 5

JOURNALISTS' EDUCATION.

AN IMPORTANT INFLUENCE.

VALUE OF UNIVERSITY TRAINV ING.

"If our people cannot all be,trained in sociology, the leaders of our people should be acquainted^ with science," said Sir Robert Stout at the college capping ceremony at Auckland last week. \ "And who , are exercising as leaders the most important influence on bur social life? I believe the answer must be the writers in our newspapers. Newspaper*! are numerous and popular amongst us and are more reM than books. We have in our midst many able, welj-read, and well-educated' journalists,, but tne strain and stress of journalism is such that I doubt- if they have the time, even if they do realise the importance of thett mission of leadership, to carefully and impartially consider without any personal, party or political bias the problems with which they are dealing. If, for example, a chemist is asked about the components or any substance, he will go to his laboratory and carefully perform analysis; nothing will deter him from making, so far as he is able, a correct analysis. The journalist should deaL with social problems in the same way. Further, the study of mental science should be entered on, and to keep abreast of the literature of sociology, he should be able to read both French and German. I believe the time is coming whenvve will consider that the efficient training of our journalists is of more importance to the community than the training of any other professional men. They are really our teachers and leaders, and it should be felt that before men are eligible for such high functions they should have the benefit of the widestfculture. I hope that in future all our young journalists will have a university training.