Unlike in the rest of the world, journalism is thriving at Penn.
To add to options already available through the English department, the Annenberg School for Communication and various writing hubs on campus, the College Dean's Advisory Board is working to develop and propose a new journalism minor.
Potential demand for the minor was reflected in a Locust Walk survey in spring 2008, College junior Joshua Kay, co-chairman of DAB and former Daily Pennsylvanian credit manager, explained.
However, Kay said his observations at the DP were more of a driving force.
The idea "was less so about the survey and more so about hearing people's interests," he said.
The question that has lingered since the January 2008 survey is whether campus-wide interest in the minor exists.
"Our original idea . is for it to be a joint effort between the Annenberg School and the Kelly Writers House," Kay said. Yet, "a lot of questions that we've had is why? Why do students feel the need to have a minor?"
These questions must be asked because of an already "thriving journalism culture" at Penn, according to Al Filreis, director of the Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing.
Because there has not been an official proposal yet, the administration and faculty have expressed a lack of a chance to assess the possibility of the minor's existence.
But Filreis stressed that Penn has deliberately not separated different kinds of writing so that potential journalists or those interested in journalism could get a balanced education, exploring both fiction and non-fiction writing.
"We could do it, but it goes against what we've done so well," Filreis said. "We're into a holistic approach." He added that there is currently "three times as much journalism being taught here than 10 years ago."
College freshman Florentina Dragulescu, a program assistant at the Writers House, sees both sides of the argument.
"Introducing a journalism minor can be a good thing," she wrote in an e-mail, "but it seems a bit redundant since the English major has a concentration in literature, journalism and print culture, and the communication major basically gives you most of the background you need in order to become a journalist," she said.
Kay also acknowledged that people jokingly say "the DP is the undergraduate journalism department," so the DP's opinion would be a significant factor in moving forward.
"I would personally be happy to see it," College junior and DP executive editor Juliette Mullin said. "The DP would definitely supplement the minor."
Despite difficulties "getting people to display new interest" in the minor as well as finding a "home" department, Kay said he still believes that "especially with us having Annenberg, it would be amazing to have [the minor] as an option for undergraduates."
Yet with or without the minor, "There is a hunger for journalism," Filreis said. "I'm already meeting with people in the class of 2013" interested in journalism.
