Influencer, academic joust over utility of journalism majors

An internet influencer in the education sector triggered a heated debate on the value of university journalism majors recently, after claiming they are of little use in real life. His remarks sparked a spirited back-and-forth with a professor of communications.

Zhang Xuefeng, founder of education company Fengxue Weilai and an influencer who makes videos on postgraduate major selection, said during a livestream in early June that he would "beat the living daylights out of his child" if the child wanted to study journalism at university, adding that "any blind draw of lottery of majors would be better than journalism".

He said that with the development of technologies, everyone can take part in "citizen media".

In China, of those that study journalism at university, some 80 percent get jobs unrelated to media, and journalism graduates typically do not earn high salaries, according to Zhang.

Rebutting Zhang Xuefeng's comments, Zhang Xiaoqiang, a professor in communications at Chongqing University's School of Journalism and Communication, said his words were "harmful and misleading", and added that accepting a journalism major at one of China's key universities would be a "no-brainer" if the chances were presented.

He further criticized the influencer of "reaping the profits of mass communication while at the same time smearing it", adding that the view that a job in the media is the only match for journalism graduates is narrow-minded.

Zhang Xuefeng defended his comments and said that he gave his suggestions on choosing majors from the most practical standpoint, and that students from "common families" that are not so well-off financially should consider their majors very carefully.

Taking a dig at the professor, Zhang Xuefeng said that he had only a tiny fraction of followers on social media compared with himself.

Their tit-for-tat raised discussions online on the value of journalism majors. While more netizens sided with the influencer, the professor received more support from academia.

Journalism majors in China have evolved significantly in recent years, with more courses about media integration and internet communications being taught and fewer about traditional media forms.

In 2020, the prestigious Tsinghua University in Beijing stopped admitting journalism students at the undergraduate level while expanding recruitment for postgraduates, underlining the shifting approach taken by universities in journalism education in light of the changes in the industry.

Those in journalism education are also reflecting on its drawbacks.

"In many fields, including journalism, scholars often congratulate each other if they publish an academic essay in a major journal. But not many care about what discovery the scholar has made or what theoretical innovation has been achieved," said Zou Zhendong, a professor of communication at Xiamen University, in a social media post.

He pointed out that the phenomena of self-congratulation within academic circles and disengaging with the job market do exist to some extent, as Zhang Xuefeng has alleged, adding that this problem needs to be addressed.

But Zou also said that graduates of one major succeeding in another field is very common, and using a "non-matching" field of work to demean that major is not logical.

"Those who want to be citizen journalists would probably not take civil engineering — Zhang Xuefeng's major — as their first choice," he said, adding that it's also unwise to judge communications simply by looking at the number of followers.

"For journalism students, we don't have to brag about how bright the future will be, nor do we give empty promises. We respect the practical concerns from applicants and parents. But for those choosing journalism for whatever reason, we will teach them with our true hearts every time we step into the classroom," Zou said.

"I believe that our journalism school students, even if they had been 'beaten the living daylights out of', would still want their professors to hear more voices from the industry and humbly find some wisdom in them, even if they may be harsh and nasty words," he said.