The Institute of Journalism and Communication is both traditional and new. In May 2004, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the academic education of journalism. The Institute’s research and teaching fields have, over the decades, developed and broadened from a narrow focus on journalism. Our three Chairs are engaged in communication within the information society; the knowledge management of organizations; consumer culture; political communication; media usage etc., and naturally journalism.

The main aim of Bachelor 's degree studies is to give the students a wide-scope education of social sciences and communication. There are relatively few courses related to journalism or communication specifically. Why is that? For decades there have been ongoing debates about whether the journalist should primarily be taught to write news or should be first and foremost an expert in another field (economics or politics, for example). In the latter case, the occupational skills of journalism are learned either hands-on or via additional in-service training. Our experiences show, however, that the most effective way of adding professional skills is to provide them after a good grounding in social and communication sciences. The curriculum is, therefore, designed to incorporate professional training at post-graduate level. As from the autumn semester of 2005 the curriculum proceeds in three special fields: Journalism, Media and Communication, and Communication Management.

Teaching journalism in Estonian was, 50 years ago, one of the few ways for our national culture to survive. Nowadays the teaching and studying of Journalism, Media and Communication in Estonian is a part of international communication sciences. Academic teaching must be research grounded and thus cross-border, but we strive to preserve and develop it in Estonian as well. That is why the lecturers in our institute have written and translated Estonian professional textbooks and articles, besides dozens of international publications.

Our key phrase is communication culture – the competence in self-expression and dialogue that is based on mutual understanding and agreement - the resource that makes our society more coherent and self-confident. Belief in the creative power of word unites us: verbum creat omnia. Our students and our graduates – journalists or communication specialists – are the bearers of this creative power and they are taught to use it according to the principles of communication culture.

Halliki Harro-Loit
Head of Institute