McKeen preaches the virtues of practice

December 2, 2011

Prof. William McKeen, chair of the Department of Journalism and professor of journalism (and Rock 'n' Roll), was recently profiled in the spring/summer 2011 edition of COMtalk, the Boston University College of Communication alumni magazine.

In an excerpt from the COMtalk profile, McKeen talks about the graduate program in journalism, and how BU's approach to teaching differs from other schools'.

The master’s program, especially, is key. McKeen notes that, in his experience, grad students “want a master’s program that is going to teach them to be better journalists. But most of the master’s programs are sort of like way stations on the way to a PhD program, so they’re all about theory, and not about practice. And here, it’s all about practice.” And in that practice, McKeen emphasizes the need for an explorer’s nonstop curiosity—and the drive to tell stories. “No matter what the form,” he says, “whether it’s in print or online or in television or beamed directly into your skull, we’re all about storytelling.”