Asnewspapers across California and the nation continue to shed recordnumbers of staff, the profession of journalism seems to be headedtoward extinction.The implications this hason a democracy such as ours is both sobering and obvious.

When thereare no professionally trained reporters left to watch the proverbial"cash box," (e.g. government), guess what is likely to go missing?Democratic governments remain democratic only when a free press isthere to report on what they do and how they spend the people's money.

Make no mistake, the newspaper industry has mostly itself to blame for what is happening. Combinea lack of leadership, an inability to embrace new technologies anddelivery systems (like acknowledging that the Internet really doesexist), board-driven greed, mergers, massive debt and you have acaustic brew that is dissolving an industry right before our very eyes. Sogiven this apocalyptic vision you'd think that the last place aself-respecting college student would find him or herself would be inthe halls of a college journalism school.

After all, there's no futurein newspapers, right?

Put the tarps over the equipment, cue thecrickets and would the last one out please turn out the lights?

Right?

Wrong.

Whilenewspapers themselves appear to be headed the way of the dinosaur,increasing numbers of undergraduates are flocking to the nation'sjournalism schools.

Check out this piece in the Baltimore Sun. And for those of us who like our government(s) covered the way we like our steaks -- well done -- this is a good thing.

Thefact that these kids get the importance of the business and want to dothe hard work of learning the craft is reassuring. What will be different for them is the delivery vehicle.

The last real "print' newspaper experience they're likely to have is the one they're involved with now in college. Mostwill learn that it doesn't matter whether their work is read onnewsprint, a computer screen or some kind of handheld device. What does still matter is the words they use.

What does still matter is the reporting techniques and research methods they employ.

What does still matter is the ethics, depth of sourcing and interviewing skills they display

These are the things that matter in journalism. So while these young charges go through their classes and get aboard theircollege student papers, Web sites or broadcast labs, it's my hope thatthey really will be put through their paces by their professors.

Digitalformats or not, it's imperative, after all, that they learn the basicsof orthodox, competitive, shoe-leather-based reporting early on.

Ifthey survive this school of hard knocks and don't wash out, then theywill have a chance of making it in a profession where practitionersquestion authority and speak truth to power. As agood number of these kids will find out, journalism isn't a job foreveryone, but it is a job that our democracy depends on.

And that makesit pretty special.

Jeff Mitchell is a longtime (long in the tooth?) California journalist and political observer.