언론학 교육에서 이론과 실제

Theory and Practice in Media Education

근래에 들어 각급 교육기관의 언론관련 학과가 급격하게 증설되고 등록학생수가 증가하면서 우리나라에서도 언론학 교육에 대한 논의와 논란이 활발하게 진행되고 있다. 이러한 언론학 교육의 양적 확대에도 불구하고 제기되고 있는 논의는 언론학 교육의 내용에 대한 언론계와 전공학생들의 비판과 함께 급속하게 발전, 확산되고 있는 새로운 커뮤니케이션 기술이 초래한 변화들의 수용에 있어서의 학문적 한계 등으로 무엇을 왜 가르치고 어떻게 가르쳐야 하는가에 대해 근본적으로 다시 생각하도록 하는 계기가 되고 있다. 그러나 언론학의 이러한 문제점들에 대한 논의에 일관하고 있는 몇 가지 대립되는 개념들, 예를 들면 기능 대 지식, 훈련 대 교육, 어떻게 대 왜, 전문적 대 학문적, 그리고 이론 대 실제 등의 구분은 이성적인 학문적 분석에 의거한 구분이라기보다는 전 시대적인 사회계층 구분이나 집단적 이해의 투영이라는 측면이 더 강하게 작용한 결과로 분석할 수 있다. 따라서 학문 중심적이며 이론 지향적 성격이 강한 우리나라 언론학 연구와 교육이 안고 있는 과제는 이론 체계의 구축과 교육 목표, 교육 내용, 그리고 교육 방법의 구현에 있어서 이 한계를 어떻게 극복하느냐가 관건이 될 것이다.

Discussions and debates over media education abound in Korra as the number of both institutions that provide media related education and students enrollment for these programs increases rapidly in recent years. In spite of this rather impressive expansion, however, many have raised serious questions about media education of Korea for its not being able to meet the need of the Industry and students, and, moreover, inability to face the challenges brought by new communication related technologies. Who teaches What for what purposes are some of the fundamental questions underlying these heated debates and discussions. To understand these rather complex and interrelated issues more clearly, it is attempted to delineate the nature of these debates by exploring the evolutionary process of media education. The issues related to debates over purposes of media education, curriculum, and faculty qualification have changed through the history of media education, but the nature of the debates, that is the struggle between professionalism and academism, or the tension between practice and theory, has not. Upon this understanding, some argue that what distinguishes opposing sets of dichotomies, such as skills vs. knowledge, training vs. education, now-how vs. know-why. professional vs. academic, practice vs. theory, is more a reflection of social class division and group interests which have privileged theory over practice than a rational scholastic distinction. In addition, it has been often pointed out that the media studies have failed to establish ties with specific industries, and furthermore academic studies seriously lack solid theoretical and practical bases. In the case of the United States, leaders of the industry had contributed much for the Initiation of journalism education in a college setting. However, once inaugurated,, the process of its evolution has depended heavily on academicians. In a country like Korea, where academic and theoretical orientation is much stronger, these problems of media studies and education are even more acute. In this study, it is suggested that academicians and educators be more open-hearted to the realities of changing world, practices of the industries, and recruitment of professionals and practitioners to fill the gap between practice and theory, for the sake of the future of media studies and education.