The Role of Journalism History, and the Academy, in the Development of Core Knowledge in Journalism Education

University-based journalism education has suffered from a lack of respect in the academy and the profession. One contributing factor may be that outside of the professional skill set, it is not clear if a defined body of knowledge about journalism exists that all journalism students, journalists, or the public should know. While the concept has several different meanings, developing a core body of knowledge could help journalism education improve its standing as an academic discipline and make an important contribution to the professional practice of journalism. The contribution of journalism history to the development of core knowledge in journalism could be identifying the specific incidents that have resulted in, or are representative of, the defining characteristics and features of American journalism