Missouri School of Journalism: The Missouri Method Explained

The Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri opened on September 14, 1908, and teaches through five professional newsrooms that make up its Missouri News Network: KOMU-TV, KBIA-FM, the Columbia Missourian, Vox Magazine and Missouri Business Alert. Founder Walter Williams built the model, now called the Missouri Method, on learning journalism by publishing it for a real audience.

What is the Missouri Method?

The Missouri Method is the Missouri School of Journalism's practice of teaching journalism by having students produce it for public audiences alongside classroom study. The practice dates to the school's first day of class in 1908, when students published the first issue of the University Missourian, the paper that became the Columbia Missourian.

Walter Williams, editor of the Columbia Missouri Herald and a University of Missouri curator, lobbied for the school and became its first dean. The newsrooms still run on his premise: students report, edit and produce under working professionals, and the audience judges the result.

Which newsrooms do Missouri journalism students work in?

Missouri journalism students work in the five outlets of the Missouri News Network, a group the University of Missouri describes as professional news organizations serving mid-Missouri.

Why is KOMU-TV different from other campus stations?

KOMU-TV is a commercial NBC affiliate owned by the University of Missouri, and the school describes it as the only university-owned commercial NBC affiliate in the United States that serves both an academic and a commercial mission. The school also states that the station receives no funding from the university or the state, so advertising revenue and ratings shape the newsroom.

That operating model differs from Arizona State's Cronkite School, which runs Arizona PBS, a public television station and also hosts the Carnegie-Knight News21 reporting initiative. The best journalism schools ranking compares the two broadcast setups side by side.

What does Missouri teach in strategic communication?

The Missouri School of Journalism teaches strategic communication, its public relations and advertising track, inside the journalism school and applies the same learn-by-doing structure. Seniors complete a capstone at AdZou, the school's student-run agency. In spring 2019, strategic communication seniors built research-based campaigns for 18 local and regional fee-paying clients, according to a school news release.

Students weighing PR-focused programs can compare Missouri with Syracuse's Newhouse School, Oklahoma's Gaylord College, whose student agency Lindsey + Asp follows a similar model, and USC Annenberg in the PR and communications schools guide. Best Public Relations Degrees compares degree levels, and Public Relations vs Journalism Degree helps students choose between the two fields.

Why is Investigative Reporters and Editors based at Missouri?

Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) is headquartered at the Missouri School of Journalism because its members voted to move it there in 1978. IRE was founded in 1975 in Reston, Virginia. In June 1978, members meeting in Denver chose Missouri over a bid from Boston University.

The National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting (NICAR), an IRE program founded in 1989, is supported by the Missouri School of Journalism and trains students in data analysis for reporting.

What is the Reynolds Journalism Institute?

The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) is the Missouri School of Journalism's research and innovation center, created with a $31 million gift from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation announced on February 9, 2004. In November 2012 the foundation added a $30.1 million endowment gift to fund the institute permanently.

Donald W. Reynolds graduated from the school in 1927 and was mentored by Walter Williams. By 2014 the Reynolds Foundation had become the first donor to give the University of Missouri $100 million in total, according to the school.

Is Missouri the world's first journalism school?

The Missouri School of Journalism describes itself as the world's first journalism school, and accounts commonly describe it as the first university journalism school in the United States. Other accounts note that the Superior School of Journalism in Paris opened in 1899 as a training institution, so the claim is most precise when worded as the first university journalism school.

Columbia Journalism School followed Missouri in 1912. The best journalism schools guide ranks both, along with Northwestern's Medill and UC Berkeley, and Best Journalism Graduate Programs compares their master's degrees.

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