In his Korean opinion piece titled "Journalism and Media Education Must Change," Wayne Kim explores the current state of journalism and media education in South Korea. He notes that although these are the most sought-after majors for students, satisfaction rates among students are disappointingly low. Many students express discontent due to a lack of professional training in the courses they take.

The author cites a survey conducted by the Korean Society for Journalism and Communication Studies in 2022, which indicates a strong need for a more practical, project-based approach to teaching, more collaboration between technical and theoretical instructors, and an overhaul of the current departmental system in favor of one more suited to interdisciplinary collaboration.

Kim also highlights the ongoing crisis in the field, which sees journalism become the subject of criticism and ridicule, leading to a drop in self-esteem and sense of mission among journalists. Fewer students are now aspiring to become journalists. Kim further criticizes the lack of historical and systematic understanding of journalism in many university courses.

The author ends by arguing that the influence of U.S. education on Korean media and journalism education is significant, yet it does not provide the right model for Korea. He suggests a change towards more vocational training, similar to the professional schools model seen in the United States.

To read more, please visit Daily Sports Korea for the full article.