London School of Journaliam

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by John Bear, Mar 16, 2001.

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  1. John Bear

    John Bear Senior Member

    Quite some time ago, in response to a question about the London School of Journalism, a splendid place for which I have always had the utmost respect, I mentioned that I believed they ran excellent ads on stations on the London Underground.

    Comes now a major hissy fit from Michael Winckworth, Chairman of the LSG, stating that

    We , the LSJ, have never had any poster advertising in London, in the underground or anywhere else. Your remarks are inaccurate and show a total disdain for fair or accurate commentary...

    I would be grateful if you could post a retraction to your existing post, confirming that whatever poster advertising you saw or you imagined that you saw, it had no relationship to the London School of Journalism.


    They were wonderful ads, but clearly they were for a different school in London; my profound apologies for showing total disdain for fair or accurate commentary.

    Mr. Hinckworth goes on to say,

    Your remarks, appearing to be made without due care or consideration, are, to our mind, unacceptable. No-one enjoys seeing a lie being used to sell an inference which could be hurtful or damaging.

    To any of the 309 registrants on this forum who have thought less of the London School of Journalism because of my incorrect memory that they ran some great ads on the London Underground, my profuse apologies. It is an excellent and venerable school, offering fine training by residential and distance means, and I recommend it highly. The can be found at http://www.lsj.org/

    Of course this testimonial coming from one who is believed to show total disdain for fair and accurate commentary may not be the highest endorsement available. Such is life.

    John Bear
     
  2. David Boyd

    David Boyd New Member

    I guess by stating they advertise on the Tube implies they are interested in recruiting the wrong (working class) type of student.

    In my opinion, the English class system in education contributes to why the country's now known as "Britain" rather than "Great Britain."

    God save the Queen.
     
  3. Tom Head

    Tom Head New Member

    *snip*

    I liked them much better when I thought they were advertising on the London Underground, personally, but then I'm probably exactly the sort of plebe they wouldn't want to attract with such ads.

    I don't know. I hate stereotypes, but I'm reminded of the time I was having a very polite conversation with a tall British gentleman (of "good breeding") at a coffee shop when he suddenly started casually, and somewhat loudly, dropping racial slurs into the conversation. I grew increasingly uncomfortable and, when I noticed an African-American woman my age about to walk by (while he was still cheerfully dropping the n-bomb), I immediately stood up and pretended I didn't know the man. So I don't know, John. I'm a Mississippian and ergo shouldn't be in a position to criticize anybody's culture on this point, but there does seem to be a bigger and more general bias problem across the pond than there is here.

    Peace,

    ------------------
    Tom Head
    www.tomhead.net
     
  4. H. Piper

    H. Piper member

    Would it be easier to understand this if I were to take LSD and put on a record by the LSO?
     
  5. Neil Hynd

    Neil Hynd New Member

    Hi,

    I'm not sure what Tom's stereotype example refers to here, but his erstwhile companion would appear to be more of the "upper class twit" variety well known on this side of the pond ....

    Especially being from a country without the KKK, lynchings or institutionlised segregation ...... plus, I seem to recall something of historical breakthrough in the subject area when those concerned experienced even-handed treatment (for the first time in their lives ?) when they were members of the US military stationed "across the pond" during WW2 .....

    Cheers,

    N.

     
  6. Neil Hynd

    Neil Hynd New Member

    Sorry Tom and Guys,

    I just wanted to be the one posting the 2,500th message !!!

    Maybe LSJ were bothered about being lumped with the types of ads seen on the Tube rather than the people !

    After all, being next to a massage or escort service might not really be to their liking .... !!!

    Cheers,

    N.

     
  7. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    I think Neil is probably right.

    In both the US and the UK there has traditionally been a reluctance by higher educational institutions to advertise. Especially mass-market advertising. Ads in the 'Times Literary Supplement' are one thing, in the tube another. Here in the US, public transit advertising is something that the University of Phoenix might do, but certainly not the likes of Stanford. It can damage a university's high-tone reputation.

    I think all that's starting to change though. Universities are beginning to market themselves more aggressively. And it seems to me that it is often their distance education divisions that are leading that move, with all their highly publicized deals with publishers and media companies. There is starting to be a wholesale commercialization of higher education, even by the non-profits.
     
  8. H. Piper

    H. Piper member

    Of course, I have lambasted Harcourt repeatedly for their unbelievably tacky (and misleading, untruthful, etc.) ad campaigns on matchbooks, tv, the Internet, and mass mailer cards. (I've noticed lately they allow "affiliates" to advertise on the web for them, ostensibly providing payment for "click-throughs" like other network marketing schemes.)

    Out of curiosity, could you give us an example of how the "non-profits" are moving into mass commercialization, Bill? Thanks.

    P.S. This thread shows John Bear's total disdain for acronym accuracy and the thread-title spelling concerns we all have.

    P.P.S. The "LSO" in my earlier post stands for the London Symphony Orchestra. Sorry if I was being obscure.
     
  9. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    Any number of examples could be given. San Jose State's putting their materials in every local newspaper rack. The University of San Francisco's ads in BART trains. Financial Times Management's relationships with Heriot Watt and the University of Leicester. Rupert Murdoch's efforts to create university collaborations in distance education. All the aggressive marketing that the British and Australians do in east Asia.

    Here's an interview from PBS' 'Agenda' on-line magazine:
    http://www.pbs.org/plweb-cgi/fastweb?getdoc+alsagenda+alsagenda+99+16+wAAA+marketing%26place

    ***********
    In December 1999, Terry O'Banion retired from the League for Innovation in the Community College after serving 23 years as its President and CEO. During his tenure, the League grew from a small organization serving a limited membership to a well-known, international organization serving over 650 affiliate member colleges...

    Mark D. Milliron, formerly the Executive Director of Global Learning Initiatives for Oracle Corporation, has been tapped to succeed O'Banion...

    PBS: What in your opinion has been the most significant change in higher education in the past 25 years?

    Terry O'Banion: ...Historically, higher education existed in an ivory tower... Today, every institution of higher education aggressively reaches out to serve its community... I drive along the edge of the University of California at Irvine and see in one year the construction of half-a-dozen two-story buildings in an on-campus research park sporting the names of such major companies as Cisco and others; I thumb through leaflets received by mail from National University, University of Southern California, and University of Phoenix offering to provide me educational opportunities at my convenience. Institutions of higher education have become more entrepreneurial, more responsive, more practical, and more useful to American society in ways we could not imagine 25 years ago; it is a sea change for higher education.

    PBS: What is your vision of what higher education will look like in the future, at least in the next 5 to 10 years?

    Terry O'Banion: In this new decade, I believe there will be a wild scramble for market niche identity among institutions of higher education...

    ...Colleges and universities increasingly recognize they are in competition with each other, and in the next 10 years they will be examining their mission statements, reviewing their programs, redeploying their personnel, exploring new alliances, and seeking new resources – all with an eye to survival and expansion...

    Mark Milliron: ...In addition, with education positioned as a competitive key to our economy, its "market value" is skyrocketing – some estimates put the U.S. education market at $600 billion and the worldwide education market at $2.3 trillion. With these data in mind, it's not surprising that the mix of providers is becoming increasingly diverse and the competition correspondingly intense.

    Nonetheless, in the next 5 to 10 years, we likely will see a competitive culling of providers, clearer segmentation based on student types and learning needs, and increased collaborations between private and public, profit and nonprofit institutions...
     
  10. Guest

    Guest Guest

    John,

    Due to your incorrect comments I had begun to think much less of the London School of Journalism, however, after your recantation and subsequent apology, my confidence in this institution has been renewed.

    I do hope the other 6 billion people on the planet learn of this, no telling how many of them have a lesser view of LSJ because of your comment.

    BTW, keep up the excellent work in DL!

    Russell
     
  11. Bruce

    Bruce Moderator

    Harvard, Tufts, and Boston University all advertise their non-traditional programs heavily on the MBTA trains in greater Boston.

    Bruce
     

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