The Dean of Huake School of Journalism responded to Zhang Xuefeng's remarks, stating that at the new student opening ceremony, Communication Studies | Zhang Mingxin | News

On the evening of September 1, Zhang Mingxin, Dean of the School of Journalism and Information Communication of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, delivered a speech on the WeChat official account at the opening ceremony of the college's freshmen in 2023, with the theme of "the value and background of journalism and communication".

Zhang Mingxin mentioned that during this year's college entrance examination, when it was time to fill out applications, a "master teacher" named Zhang Xuefeng said in a live broadcast that he wanted to "knock out" students who scored 590 in science and applied for journalism, and pointed out that "it is difficult to find a job while studying journalism.". His remarks have brought news and communication education to the forefront of society, sparking heated discussions among the public. Although there is no specific data to support it, based on individual experience, we can feel that Zhang Xuefeng's views have influenced many candidates in choosing a major in journalism and communication. This requires us to face and reflect on many topics related to higher education in journalism and communication, and to re understand the positioning, value, and characteristics of journalism and communication, which is in the midst of technological revolution and great changes in the times. This will make us think about many questions, such as: what is the relationship between college education and employment? How should we understand journalism and communication studies? How should we study journalism and communication well?

"Going to college is not just about finding a job, I believe everyone agrees with this viewpoint." Zhang Mingxin said, "If it's just about finding a job, in today's highly informationized society, even if you don't go to college, you can still achieve this goal.". Attend some vocational and technical training, and may even find higher paying jobs. Everyone has their own areas of expertise and suitable job positions. Compared to a specific job position, life is long, and what we need more is a long-term love for our profession and continuous effort.

"Nowadays, we often hear a voice that the prospects of the news and media industry are not good, and one should avoid studying journalism and communication in college. Is this really the case?" In Zhang Mingxin's opinion, the answer is no.

He stated that the coverage of news and communication majors is very broad, corresponding to positions in many fields of society. Taking undergraduate level as an example, Journalism and Communication covers 10 different types of majors, including Journalism, Broadcasting and Television Studies, Advertising, Communication Studies, Network and New Media, Editing and Publishing, Digital Publishing, International News Communication, Fashion Communication, and Exhibition. Many journalism and communication schools also include majors such as broadcasting and hosting art, broadcasting and television directing, which originally belong to the field of art. These majors have good adaptability and competitiveness in many fields, such as enterprises, government agencies, cultural institutions, commercial sectors, etc.

"More importantly, news dissemination, or in a broader sense, information dissemination, is the fundamental framework for the operation of today's social systems." He believes that in today's era, the operation of human society is highly complex, and social division of labor is highly refined. Information dissemination is the infrastructure of the entire society, which is related to the orderly operation of social systems. Without smooth information dissemination, various subsystems of society cannot be effectively integrated, various groups cannot engage in sufficient dialogue, and countries cannot achieve positive cultural exchanges. News communication has unprecedented openness, playing an irreplaceable role and effectiveness by connecting various systems, organizations, groups, and even individuals in society.

When it comes to studying journalism and communication, Zhang Mingxin pointed out that news and communication activities have a strong public welfare color, which is related to the public interest of society and has natural personality and moral requirements for practitioners. Regardless of the medium or form of news dissemination, such as a press release, a book, an advertising copy, a game product, a short video, or a film, although they have market-oriented considerations, fundamentally speaking, they are all spiritual and cultural products that cannot be overly guided by personal and market interests. The ideal of news professionals has always been to shoulder the burden of morality and write articles skillfully. It is precisely this idealistic humanistic sentiment that inspires generations of journalism and communication students to enter mainstream media, using the feelings, thoughts, expressions, and actions of journalists to promote social progress and national development.

He also mentioned that news and communication majors have strong applicability, but it does not mean that professional learning mainly focuses on business skills; On the contrary, it is more necessary to apply values and knowledge bases beyond skills. The surface logic of doing a good job in news dissemination is the ability to search and collect information, communicate and dialogue, and integrate expression skills; But deep logic requires correct values, meticulous logical thinking, and a broad knowledge foundation.

In today's university campus, "involution" seems to be an unavoidable topic. In his speech, Zhang Mingxin suggested that news communication often pursues time efficiency, but the study of news communication requires calm and soothing like a deep stream of calm water. The growth of life is not about checking in quickly in a hurry, or consuming each other in competition, but a natural process that flows like a river, and sometimes even the process itself is the goal. I hope everyone doesn't fill their schedules too much. Leisure, free time, and blank space are sometimes more valuable than intense study.

Zhang Mingxin has studied at Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Wuhan University, obtaining Bachelor of Engineering, Bachelor of Management, Master of Literature, and Doctorate in Literature. He has taught at the School of Journalism and Communication at Hubei University and the School of Journalism and Communication at Wuhan University, serving as an assistant, lecturer, associate professor, and professor.