CHAPTER IX

TRAINING IN NEGRO SCHOOLS

[Sidenote: ELEMENTARY TRAINING IN HIGH SCHOOLS]

Definite steps are being taken by Negro schools and colleges to provide academic training in Journalism. Even in the high schools, the development of a vague appreciation of, and elementary training in Journalism is afforded by the publishing of school papers, under the supervision of the English department. Such schools as Dunbar High School, Washington, D. C.; Summer High School, St. Louis, Mo.; Central High School, Louisville, Ky.; Pearl High School, Nashville, Tenn., and Langston High School, Hot Springs, Ark., illustrate the point.

[Sidenote: COLLEGE PUBLICATIONS]

What is true of the high schools is true of the Normal and Industrial schools and colleges on a larger scale. Approximately one hundred periodicals are published by such institutions at least once a month. Some of these are purely the product of the student body; a few of them are the product of both students and faculty; still others are the publication of the administration and faculty, and under the supervision of a university editor. Many of the latter have developed to the place where they are nationally known. Such periodicals as _The Fisk University News_, _The Southern Workman_ (Hampton Institute), _Howard University Record_ (quarterly), _The Tuskegee Student_ and _The Atlanta University Bulletin_ (quarterly) are among the best Negro publications in the United States.

[Sidenote: JOURNALISM COURSES AT FISK UNIVERSITY]

This, however, is not all. The training of Negro journalists is being attempted through college courses. Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn., perhaps, was the first school to give such courses. Under the professorship of Isaac Fisher, one of the foremost Negro editors today, four courses in Journalism are offered. The course as outlined in the latest Fisk University catalog includes: (1) Essentials in Newspaper Technique—a course including practise in writing, editing, and methods of presentation; (2) The Law of Journalism—a study of libel, copyright, rights and duties of the press in reporting judicial proceedings, and the liabilities of the publisher, editor, reporter and contributor; (3) Ethics of Journalism—lectures discussing the proper responsibility to the public on the part of newspaper writers; (4) Art of Newspaper and Magazine Making—a course devoted to the studying of actual work of making a newspaper and magazine, with laboratory practice to supplement the theory studied.

[Sidenote: PROFESSIONAL TRAINING]

What will in all probabilities mark the real beginning of professional training in Journalism among Negroes is the opening of the proposed School of Journalism by Howard University, Washington, D. C. Owing to a limitation of finances, unfortunately the school has not yet been put in operation.

[Sidenote: PROPOSED COURSES AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY JOURNALISM SCHOOL]

The course as outlined in the Howard University catalog is based upon two years of college work, including a reading knowledge of at least two modern languages, and advanced work in English Composition. The professional work covers two years and leads to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Journalism. The subjects offered are: Practice in Writing, Newspaper Technique, Newspaper Editing, The History of Journalism, Advertising, Journalistic French, Journalistic German, Journalistic Spanish, Elements of Law, Freehand and Applied Drawing, and certain college courses in History, Economics, Sociology, Literature and Politics.

[Sidenote: JOURNALISM AT WILBERFORCE]

While it does not have a separate department in Journalism, Wilberforce University offers courses in journalistic writing as a part of the work in the department of English. Three courses are given at present: Business English, Short Story Writing and Editorial Writing.

[Sidenote: PRINTING]

On the mechanical side of newspaper publishing, work is offered in printing at Hampton Institute (Va.), Tuskegee Institute (Ala.), and Wilberforce University (Ohio). Many of the present printer-editors are products of these schools.