Exhibit JC42 - The Leveson Inquiry

For Distribution to CPsHacks and Dons - Teaching at the London University Journalism School 1919-1939: Its origin,development and influence.If Sir Ernst Gombrich can state that an academic scholar ’can acquirethe skills to investigate nearly any question that arouses his curiosity ’~9, it isjust this similar claim by journalists that often draws academic criticism oftheir methods. If a part of ischolarship consists in knowledge of how to usedictionaries’ then what Gombrich describes as the ’distortions’ implied inacademic disciplines need a synthesis which well-organised student activitycan create. While the University of London Diploma for Journalism had buta short season one of the reasons for studying it is to examine how earlierattempts to combine the disciplines was implemented, long before itbecame academically fashionable. 2°I completed the PhD thesis on this subject in 1984 and I was surprisedthat this unique British experiment, in combining practical vocationaltraining with relevant academic subjects, remained largely ignored andneglected by academics and journalists. Indeed some academics disputedits very existence stating that ’the "technical elements" of journalism weretoo lacking in academic rigo[u]r to be included in even a sub-degree courseand [when practical journalism did appear as a curricular subject in 1937] itgained a reputation...for being "too theoretical" and was never highlyregarded, closing within two years. ’2~ Another reported that ’journalismeducation in the United States preceded its British counterpart at theuniversity level by nearly a century ’22 which in the light of the research inthis book could be informed by the fact that pioneering American journalismprofessors were present at the Institute of Journalists 1908 annualconference to discuss journalism education and also in 1919 at theinauguration of the London University Diploma.Since then an honourable exception has been Heather Purdey,Programme Director of International Journalism at the City University inLondon and a journalist since 1976. In her excellent 2001 unpublishedmaster’s thesis Button Pushers or the Fourth Estate? Journalists in the 21stCentury she credits Tom Clarke for forming ’the foundation of modern-daytraining for Journalists. ’23The history of the University of London Diploma for Journalism coursehas much to offer those interested in the evolution of British journalism:how it is now and how it might have been different had not this coursedisappeared with the advent of the Second World War, in 1939. Thefollowing pages explore its origins in the nineteenth century and how itdeveloped between 1919 and 1939 and its continuing influence into the 21 stcentury.Purists may object to the reference to the title to the London UniversityJournalism School as it never achieved that status but the Principal ofKing’s College referred to it as such in a letter to the Principal of LondonUniversity in 1930. Had the course continued it would have been as a fullyfledgedschool of the university. 24MOD100051176