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.The difference is that in schools the tendency is to tell the student how to do athing, whereas in the newspaper office he is told to do it.This one hopes to overcome. There is little of theory in my plan. I hope to beable to tell my students not only how to get news, but to make them get it. Nodearth of writers; but dearth of news-collectors. That is the chief commodity.We cannot print a newspaper yet, (This happened in 1939 at the DailyTelegraph. The interview on the accompanying CD with Geoffrey Pinningtonprovides an account) but we shall try to get the real atmosphere of a newspaperoffice. It will take time. The key to the practical side - certainly for the moreadvanced students in the two year course - will be that they consider themselves ona job of competitive work for a daily paper that is going to press in the next fewhours.The chief work will be Reporting - the basis of all journalism, even in its higherand more specialised departments. The students must learn by doing. They must bereal reporters. I don’t want any others. I want them to get newspaper ’character’.The motto for them will be the old one, ’Truth is stranger than Fiction.’The hmction of the practical side is not to educate the aspirant to a newspapercareer, but to show him, as an editor in a paper office would, if he had time, how toapply the knowledge he has won elsewhere to the practical purposes of anewspaper.Although I hope to get the students doing things rather than merely talking aboutthem, there must of course be some instructional lectures and demonstrations. Thecase-method and simulations may be useful, the instructor drawing on his actualpractical experience and then inviting discussion.Without the goodwill and cooperation of the Press, in which the America, hasset us such fine a example, this newly arranged London University JournalismCourse cannot be the success we hope for. The past lukewarmness of many ownersand editors is happily passing with the realisation that the aim of the Course isQuality rather than Quantity. It wants to assist newspapers in search of futurerecruits for their rank and file.Already there are auguries of a re-awakening interest in our efforts.One distinguished newspaper owner wishes to present a Gold Medal every yearto the best all-round student.Another newspaper executive has offered the use of the actual editorial rooms inhis office for occasional practical demonstrations.Several others are supporting the course with endowments.Experienced practical newspapermen have offered to assist at demonstrations.American universities with departments of Journalism are watchingdevelopments with keen interest. Already messages of goodwill have beenreceived from the University of Missouri and Rutgen’s University.Dr. Walter Williams (Missouri) whose letter reached me only after his death,wrote: ’It means a marked progress in the work of an institution which has alreadydone so much for education in preparation for professional Journalism.’Imperial significance of the new development is indicated by receipt of inquiriesabout the course from New Zealand, Tasmania, and New South Wales.I hope in the next five years the Course will make a useful contribution to thenewspaper life of the next generation.293Tom Clarke.MOD100051464