University of Canberra adds a content marketing major as part of journalism degree
The University of Canberra is to launch a content marketing speciality within its journalism degree claiming it is catering to a demand which has always been there.
Matthew Ricketson a professor of journalism with the university told Mumbrella:”Places like the AFL.com now employ more than 50 journalists,” said Ricketson.
“They are doing journalistic work, banks such as the ANZ, not-for-profits and other organisations are doing journalistic work and we are saying that if you have a more commercial bent that’s a good way to go.”
The move will see the University of Canberra now offering a journalism degree, with additional streams in areas that now include both content marketing or social and digital campaigning with the latter aimed at those going into advocacy.
They’d better have a sizeable chunk of the course devoted to journalistic ethics. Are the AFL.com.au staffers journalists or content creators?
Really?! They started a Bachelor of Journalism course back in 2009 that they then changed into a Bachelor of Communications much to the annoyance of students.
If I remember correctly they said at the time that this was the right move as the industry wasn’t going to just be about journalism and needed to represent all forms of content making. Which was ridiculous then, and is ridiculous now that they’re backtracking.
When is someone going to wake up. You cannot keep producing journalists/media/communications graduates for jobs THAT DO NOT EXIST.
This is a national disgrace and no-one will talk about it. Remember all the new media jobs that we going to flow from Fox/Foxtel/Murdoch? Joke.
As Nic mentions we’ve introduced new specialties.
This is a bit technical but basically we choose the main subject of the major. We have retained the previous course structure as the non-specialised stream, which has an ‘open elective’ major (choose a six unit major of your choice). One stream is ‘content marketing’. The other two are ‘social and digital campaigning’ and ‘creative writing’. More information here: http://www.canberra.edu.au/abo.....journalism
If you are interested in the future of journalism education, see this ebook from the Nieman Foundation: http://nieman.harvard.edu/book.....ter-again/ We largely anticipated a number of the suggestions in this report. Big difference of course is that this is for a US context, Australia is very different.
‘University of Canberra will be teaching how to craft content as copy and pass off ads as articles.’
Content marketing could definitely benefit from journalistic capabilities and ethos. I have to say I’m very excited that University of Canberra is prepared to move Australia forward. Journalism, as with any discipline, has to be prepared to embrace change, and this demonstrates to me, that there is an appetite to do this.
It’s important to recognise the difference between an in-house newsroom and content marketing. AFL Media employs 15 journalists (not 50) who operate as regular reporters and feature writers with no requirement to consider larger commercial arrangements. Then there’s content that has a sponsor (our Team of the Week, for example) or a brought-to- you-by. In these cases, value to the sponsor is driven by the large audience that is drawn to authentic, newsworthy content. Finally, there’s content we create for the benefit of a sponsor, but this is done outside of the newsroom, without the involvement of our journalists (In the Kitchen and Style in 2, for example). The appropriate ratio of these three types of content is what will deliver a mass audience, sustainable CPMs and high-value commercial integrations.
“The Canberra based Content Marketing Institute’s chief strategy officer Robert Rose”
Robert Rose is Canberra-based? Is that correct? Hadn’t heard that.
I’ve noticed a lot of negative commentary on this initiative. Why is it being received this way? Journalism, like so many disciplines, opens up a broad range of career options from journalists finding roles writing advertorials, right through to political and foreign correspondents. Content marketing certainly isn’t a foreign correspondent’s aspiration. But I strongly believe that with the saturation of online content, that surely everyone could benefit from content marketers gaining a foundation from journalism’s highly respected discipline and ethos to influence the quality of what we have to consume online, everyday?
I think adding content marketing is definitely a step in the right direction.
We have been asked to put together this nationally recognised qualification is response to Industry and the skill shortage in qualified digital marketing and digital content experts.
http://www.chisholm.edu.au/Cou....._Marketing
The digital world is the jobs of the future
AF,
Robert Rose is not based in Canberra but I am. I am the co-chair of the Industry advisory group and it was at my invitation that Robert accepted the role. The role of the industry advisory group is to connect to the degree to some of the leading thinkers and practitioners in the global content marketing industry to ensure the graduates have got the skills the industry needs.
Pete, couldn’t disagree with you more. Technology has democratised the factors of media production and distribution which means every brand, government agency, national association, not for profit and non government organisation can now “go direct” to the audiences they are seeking to engage. This will require thousands of people to be able to create, curate, distribute and measure content. There will be plenty of jobs.
Julie, thanks for you support. Aligning content marketing,(which is a strategic, measurable, accountable business process), with journalism is ideal. The content of organisations has to have integrity if its going to meet a need or solve a problem. Journalism is the ideal training ground.
Kerry, pleased to see that Chisholm is heading in the same direction. We should keep talking.
Matt I disagree that your 15 “independent” journalists are not part of your content marketing effort. While their content may not be driven any “larger commercial arrangement”, it is certainly assisting the AFL achieve one of its business objectives which is to grow a larger, more engaged audience for the sport. That function is entirely consistent with the content marketing process.