What happens when j-schools bring journalism and computer
science students together in the classroom? Find out from their
professors. By Jacqueline Marino and Jeremy Gilbert It used to
be that calling a journalist a “hack” was considered an insult.
Now, tack on “-er” and more than likely the reporter will be
flattered. Today tech-savvy journalists are mapping stories,
figuring out new ways to share mobile-based news, and changing
how investigative reporters gather and analyze their
information. This expanding digital landscape for news,
especially the significance of data and the promise of mobile,
means that computer programming is becoming yet another skill to
be taught in journalism classes. The key question is how to
teach these skills in the context of journalism. Who should
learn the technical skills of a hacker? What skills do
journalists need to master? How do we partner those who are tech
savvy with those eager to learn reporting? Experiments
abound—from computer science/journalism master’s programs