<p>I'm a current highschool junior who is starting to take a look at colleges. I have known for a long, long time that I want to do Broadcast Journalism. My parents have always supported my idea, until about a few days ago. They claim that journalism is dead. There are no jobs etc etc. I have one firend who did journalism (up untill a BA degree and couldn't find a job). I keep teeling my parents I know what to do, I'll major in Journalism, do Pre-law (My parents want me to be a lawyer -<strong>-) or poli-sci (which I love ^</strong>^). </p>
<p>But what I wanted to know is, is it ture that journalism is no longer a safe major, even with what i've told you that I wanted to do? I read one article on it already, I just wanted to here more opinions.</p>
<p>There is no such thing as a safe major. Your parents need to look into the awful situation for new lawyers (in short: ginormous debt, no jobs) before pushing you down that path.</p>
<p>Honestly, as a recent journalism graduate… I would suggest that you would learn more by majoring in something else and minoring in journalism while getting all the real-world experience you can through working at student media outlets and internships.</p>
<p>I respectfully disagree with the idea that the new services will successfully re-implement subscription models.</p>
<p>Subscriptions never paid for more than the distribution cost of a newspaper to begin with. Those costs (paper, printing, trucking, delivery) are going away.</p>
<p>People today are conditioned to get their news for free, and as long as there are literally thousands of places where they can do so, the subscription market will remain niche at best. Why would any significant number of people pay for this new iPad “Daily,” when effectively the same content is available without cost?</p>
<p>The rules have changed. They’re not likely to change back.</p>
<p>Thanks for your opinions. Ill do journalism no matter what, but Ill find something else to fall back on as a double major. I already have planned out all the extra curricular activities Ill do, that involve writing.
I just dont know what I would do…political science isnt something that you can actually find a job with =/</p>
Sure it is. You don’t have to major in journalism to be a journalist.</p>
<p>Also, don’t limit yourself to writing. You need to have multimedia and social media skills to be a competitive candidate today. Blog, tweet, shoot video, etc. as much as you can.</p>
<p>^
Thanks for your opinion. I’ll stat looking around to see what poli-sci can be used for in a real job setting. I will do all that stuff. I already blog, shoot videos and I use to work on my school paper. I currently work on the yearbook and litmag doing writing, formatting etc
So I think i’m gaining the skills right now, and I plan to continue doing so.</p>
<p>Why not major in something like economics or law instead then just take journalism classes? You can find jobs with those degrees and you dont need a degree in journalism to become a journalist.</p>
<p>^
In my mind and from the opinios of some journalists that I have had the joy of meeting, a journaklism degree is a must (at leats for a grad degree).
Law is one of the things that I would take along with journalism. I am not the best at math so I don’t think economics is for me.</p>
<p>@polarscribe</p>
<p>Thanks!!! I’m glad to know that i’m on track ^__^</p>
<p>I made a topic like this myself. A friend was having the same or similar doubts about a journalism degree as you were having. Instead he considered graphic design or psychology with the intent on building a portfolio by contributing to his schools paper. From the responses I got people said the degree certainly isnt necessary and my friend even spoke to our english proffessor about it and he confirmed this.</p>
<p>Thogh, I think political science classes would certainly help a journalist in informing the public about a country’s political system and whatnot so your still on the right track regardles. I think.</p>
<p>You only need the two econ and two poli sci. Take lots of graphic design and photography classes ! Your expected to know how to do it all now. Try some tv/broadcasting classes and write write write.</p>
<p>There are a plethora of jobs in local, state and federal government, nonprofits, lobbying groups, consulting orgs etc. where a political science/journalism type major is the perfect degree. I do not think graphic design, and certainly not photography would be that useful unless you want to concentrate and have some talent in that area.</p>
<p>Supposedly someone with a graphic design and photography background that has also contributed to a paper (and perhaps also has taken economics or political sci classes) would be ideal as a journalist. It’s simply cheaper from the employer’s perspective. Think of it this way, it’s the difference between hiring three people (journalist, photographer, graphic designer) or one to do jobs that are essential to a newspaper. (writing the story, designing the paper/handling the printing process, phoography is self explanatory really).</p>
<p>Of course, the trick is that you’ll then be stuck doing three people’s jobs for one just-above-minimum-wage salary, without time to develop the sort of stories that will get you hired by a bigger-name, better-paying newspaper.</p>
<p>Thats the way it is now in many fields. Most gigs are for web and/or print mags not newspapers anyways or as contributing writers. You only need poli sci for yourself as many of the so called jobs mentioned are voluteer. Sounds like you been listening to too many pundits fly. We live in a more visual culture now. Its great for hs students to study photography, not point n click, young. Senior year look into interning at a local tv broadcasting station. If you love it…just do it! You gotta be pro active and be there.</p>
<p>Also there is no perfect degree. Being proud of ones major does not wow employers. You are the product! Try and prove in a min you know econ or poli sci…yawn. The 2 cores are pre law/society classes neways. There for your own good. A great photo, video, well written story is proof, claims are not.</p>
<p>Just like you, I have wanted to be a journalism major for the majority of your life (The next Rory Gilmore, if you watch Gilmore Girls, tehehe). I always assumed that’s what I would major in, and when I applied to colleges in the fall, I even put that down as my major. Take into account though, that all along people were always telling me “you won’t make any money”, “it’s a terrible field”, “newspapers are going extinct”. I, just like you, said that my back up plan would be to go to law school if all else fails. Unfortunately, people just kept telling me that it was a bad idea, and that I shouldn’t go through with it. And you know what? I believed them. Due to people’s influence’s, I started to HATE the media, the news, even the New York Times (which I read on a daily basis). I emailed colleges that I had been accepted to, and told them that I wanted to change my major to social work.</p>
<p>Well, now that I have “decided” (I use that term loosely because I may change, again) to take a different career path, people are telling me that I am making the wrong decision once again. My advice to you is this: Go with your gut. If you want to major in Journalism, then go for it. Don’t let what your parents tell you hold you back. Because it happened to me. I did it. Some days I think about being a social worker and how awesome it could be, but people still discourage me from doing it. Don’t listen to ANYONE else, do what you want to do with your life. Don’t let your parents influence your choice in major. Journalism may not be the easiest field to get into, but if you work hard the possibilities are endless. If it’s what you really want, it will be worth it in the end.</p>
<p>Hrrm… just go on a few journalism job spots. The lion’s share of job are in NYC or DC. Personally, I wouldn’t want to live there after initially thinking about it as a possibility. I have the two body problem, plus the costs of it, and starting allover in somewhere unknown is pretty daunting. Being on assignment for a few weeks or months somewhere is a different story however and would gladly do that. </p>
<p>I do web development and media content for several small publishers right now… and I am adding journalism as only a minor for core skills. A career in journalism these days is daunting. I am positive I will be able to get some paid freelance gigs however, I already have and I am not done w/ the minor yet. The content magazines I do… well, the people writing are generally doing it as they are experts in the field, and often doing it for free or next to nothing and this is in one of the big 5 North American media markets, with a few of them with national distribution (print AND web)</p>
<p>I think you might have to create a niche for yourself unless you are really lucky these days, or want a career that pays decently…</p>
<p>I already did a major before in Information Systems, I’m just incredibly bored with the field after 5 years in it. I am picking up one in Political Science with a minor in Journalism.</p>
<p>I am kind of heading into a politics/journalism route though as far as my interests go. I am highly skeptical of a journalism career though.</p>
<p>If you are young though, definitely give it a full shot, I’d have something as a backup plan though… double major! I think most of the good journalism schools require you to do this now anyhow.</p>
