<p>The school I'm going to be going to doesn't have a specific journalism major, but a communication major with a journalism option. Right now I'm really torn between majoring in comm/journalism or in english (I'm planning on majoring in psychology, so I can't double-major the two). I've always LOVED to write and have been thinking about a career in print journalism, but the "starving writer" situation always comes up. But which one of these majors would you say is more useful when trying to pursue a career in print journalism? I know it kinda seems like "Uh...communication, duh," but lately I've been hearing a lot that a major in english is really versatile, leading people to go into publishing, editting, public relations, or journalism. So, really is there a difference? If you wanted to write for a newspaper or magazine, would majoring in communication really be necessary?</p>
<p>i heard a major in english is more useful, because it shows you can actually write. haha</p>
<p>If you want to do journalism, I would suggest the communications major with the journalism concentration over the english major. Journalism has its own style of writing, so if the department is good, you would probably learn it best from them. That being said, I think you should still take some lovely english classes, too :P</p>
<p>4321234: Hmm...now what just are you applying there, good sir/m'am? Haha. (:</p>
<p>URichmond2010: Ahh, see the problem I have there is that I'm not entirely sure if I want to go into journalism. And I know that journalism definitely has its own style and I think my own personal style fits journalism better, but I don't want to give up on english yet because I think it could be really useful...</p>
<p>That being said...so an english major has a lot of options...does a comm/journalism major also have a lot of options? Which one would fit better with a psych major?</p>
<p>It sounds like your leaning towards English anyways. If you're not sure about the Comm/Journalism major, English can still lead you into the field of journalism anyways if do you decide that it is right for you. That being said, you aren't even at your school yet, so you'll have time to feel things out at the school before deciding on and declaring your major.</p>
<p>I too have debated between the English and Journalism majors. </p>
<p>Similar though they may seem, they're very different throughout the four-year track. It's already been mentioned that journalism has its own style - the writing tends to be more concise, straightforward, and factual, especially if you decide to focus on print journalism. English majors, however, learn to incorporate detail and literary techniques.</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that English majors have a big focus on the analysis and discussion of literature. Journalism majors learn about journalistic style and ethics, do hands-on reporting, and get their feet wet in each of the main journalism industries: print, magazine, online, and broadcast.</p>
<p>That being said, can you be a journalist without actually majoring in communications? Absolutely! Particularly with a major in psych, you may be able to contribute to medical journals, etc.</p>
<p>But, in answer to your question, if you'd like a career in print journalism, the Communications major is much better than the English major. You also mentioned that English majors have career options such as "publishing, editting, public relations . . .". Many people who major in journalism end up in those careers as well.</p>
<p>I ultimately chose to major in journalism with a magazine focus.</p>
<p>Really, it's all a matter of evaluating your strengths, desires, and future plans.</p>