This fall, a new Northwestern master’s program will bring together Medill’s journalism curriculum and Integrated Marketing Communications with the Kellogg School of Management’s media management program.

The announcement comes at a particularly opportune time; the business world is reeling in difficult economic times, employers are looking for employees with a diverse set of communication skills and a dynamic approach to the business of journalism is needed to revive print media.

The pilot program is a step in the right direction for the two schools – by recognizing the realities of the business and journalism marketplace, the two schools have brought together compatible courseloads that might also allow the schools to save money by sharing resources.

Medill’s past efforts to expand the scope of its undergraduate and graduate curricula beyond traditional J-school offerings have included the IMC program, which brings together marketing, advertising and public relations. Opponents of the IMC program have argued that it places an emphasis on what the audience wants above quality journalism, treating paragraphs and words like dollars and cents.

The Kellogg-Medill partnership, however, should benefit students in both schools. Journalists stand to gain from exposure to advanced multimedia and a plethora of business-oriented classes. Executives or out-of-work businesspeople can cultivate valuable skill sets that are applicable in any field. In the past, NU has succeeded in building interdisciplinary offerings across its schools. This new effort could be another successful inter-school endeavor.

If anything good can come of the union, the relationship between the two schools could be the impetus for a new, workable business model for print media.