You're absolutely right, Nick. The best thing J-Schools could do to encourage entrepreneurship in media would be to close. It's that simple.

You had something other than "Nyah-nyah-nyah" in mind?

Those who can, do; Those who cannot, go to school.

Maybe if it was re-branded as something catchy and clever, like "newstrepreneurship"? "Entreprenewsyship"?

They could start handing out MBAs.

make them start and run a (profitable) business. that'll help them to see the real world outside of the cozy belly of the classroom.

Ah! An idea: accept more Jews?

They must have a nuclear powered bullshit detector implanted in their brain.

J-school is not usually for the entrepreneurialy-minded. That said, sound grammatical skills might begin to address no. 1.

I have a journalism degree. I remind myself of that occasionally. It has nothing to do with my main income source, so I have to remind myself.

@Hot Foot: True, but the machinery perpetuated by these schools still tends to float those who can't a bit higher up in mastheads (and salaries) while those who can end up unloading our best shit for free in, say, Gawker comments. (This is not my best shit, BTW.)

My advice: drop out of school and spend your whole day commenting on gossip blogs.

wait for the fiery downfall of another medium, then gleefully piss on its' face.

Yes: close. All you need to know to be a journalist is how to call random people you don't know to ask them questions, then remember to write the answers down quickly before you forget them.

Journalism schools should start by stressing how important reporting is, as opposed to farming your quotes out to anonymous internet commentators. J-schools should teach their disciples never to work for free, again, by not doing things like farming work out for free... should I go on?

Another tact: Journalism schools should stress how important it is to remain independent of outside influence, for example crushing graduate school debt; teach their students that having a few solid bylines and a good internship is better than an MA from Columbia or Berkeley, let alone USC....

Journalism school did nothing for me. But I did get laid a lot by hot women who all thought they were Lois Lane.

Journalism school is designed to train employees, not entrepreneurs. Same as all school. Where else do people regulate their lives by loud bells? Prison and factories, people.

That an alleged "journalist" just came up with the phrase "enable their entrepreneurial ability" is proof positive that j-school is a waste.

@Paddington -- I think you're confusing journalism with telemarketing. Fret not though, journalism is all about confusion.

Journalism programs don't encourage entrepreneurs, but some do flow from the programs. But what programs, besides business, encourage anything other than learning their respective industries? English students don't spend time in classes being encouraged to open coffee shops, or little village bookstores; they learn to write, or to edit, or to criticize those who can write better than them.

Journalism programs could better prepare students by encouraging alternate sources for clips besides campus media or a required internship. If students were taught how and encouraged to send pitch letters to write freelance for publications, or to develop a blog on some topic they know or like, then they would grow into the industry. Perhaps from there, they could blossom a business idea, or at least have a stronger understanding of the needs of their industry from which to create a business.

Only things I got from J-school were lots of contacts and job offers. Other than that, I was better served by all the history and literature classes I took.