Abstract
The professionalization process for journalism had profound implications for the profession’s practices, social standing, and educational requirements. As journalism transformed from a trade to a skilled practice in the early twentieth century, the question of where journalists should be educated and how became a point of debate. This study examines the period from 1920 to 1939, when university journalism educators engaged in boundary work to establish authority over journalism education in the United States. They sought to differentiate themselves from high school journalism, which initially challenged their status as the primary educational arena for future reporters. Their rhetoric positioned university programs as the sole legitimate pathway to journalism, marking a shift from a working-class ethos to an elite profession requiring a university degree. This redefined the field and attempted to establish the four-year university course of study as an essential credential for professional journalists.