At the same time, the appeal of the journalism and communications major itself was waning. Its overall graduate employment rate for 2023 ranked in the bottom quartile of all majors; the proportion of graduates finding jobs in that particular field was 19.42% in 2021, falling to 11.01% by 2025.
The death of campus media is the result of this logic, pushed to its natural conclusion.
In the spring of 2024,Xuerenheld its final event: its "Closing Down Exhibition." On the empty space south of the school gymnasium, tables were set up to display printed back-issues, reporting notes, and photos. Not many people came to see them; most who did were former staffers who’d already graduated.
Controversy over the journalism and communications major drew broader attention that year. A famous graduate-admissions advisor, now sadly departed, said that "If my kid insisted on studying journalism, I’d punch his lights out." This remark went viral on social media. A survey showed that only 40% of journalism and communications graduates would pick the same major again, given the chance. The declines of professional journalism and campus media are two points on the same trajectory.
Quite a few student clubs ceased operations that year. The space for diversity was contracting—not just physical space, but discursive and practical space, as well.
But let’s step back for a moment.
At least the ruins were still standing. The archive was still there.
You could still pass by, point it out to those who’d come later, and say: "This used to be …." [Chinese]
Part two will follow shortly.
