I’m through one quarter of my master’s journalism program and seriously rethinking journalism as a career. What other related jobs would be a better fit for an introverted writer who can’t sit still for 20 minutes? After a few marketing/social media internships, I’ve learned that sedentary office environments are not for me (if I can avoid it).
I thought that journalism perfectly combined my loves of writing, fitness, travel and (sigh) connecting with people, but now I’m unsure. Going into my program, I wanted to write for a fitness magazine and though I can interview well enough to get stories done, it provokes a lot more anxiety than it should and I’m generally not an engaging person to talk to. The media’s role in the election, and its business model overall, has also given me a lot of pause. I’m more of a writer than a journalist/reporter and am certainly not “entrepreneurial” enough to make it in a super competitive media environment.
And I know that any job that pays the bills is fine, and sometimes a job is just a job. But I figure at 22 years old, I may as well try to find something I can stand for 40+ years. Thanks!
As a long-time, old-school, mostly-retired reporter, I will say a few things.
Really research the future of the business. Newspapers and magazines are folding, many news organizations are going online-only or have a huge social media component. You have to have a way about you, frankly, that makes people want to talk to you. Or have the bulldog personality to MAKE people talk to you. If you don’t have either, reporting might not be the answer.
Have you looked into technical writing? I don’t know a lot about it, but it seems like that would be less people-oriented and more process-oriented. Writing manuals, industry stuff - not Woodward and Bernstein but it pays very well and is largely a steady if not growing market.
Good luck. I never pursued a master’s degree but did just fine with a bachelor’s.
I will say that a master’s is fairly unnecessary for a journalism career; my boyfriend is a journalist and most people in his office don’t have a graduate degree, and everyone still gets paid the same amount and are equal in every other way. Also, not all journalism is being out in the field interviewing people. Seems like a lot of it happens over email now if you need a source for an article.
The others are correct-you don’t need a master’s and traditional journalism is a dying career. Former journalist here-have had three small papers I freelanced for fold-no longer in the field. My H was also a journalist and has found a niche in communications for local government. Pays much better, but jobs are scarce and competition cutthroat. The last opening in his department got more than 700 resumes from all over the country-for a lower level communications job. He knows many people with awards and great credentials who are either jobless, commuting a hundred miles each way, or changing careers as a result of journalism as we know it disappearing.
I’d look into jobs where writing is needed but where you won’t be doing traditional reporting. Much as that’s needed, there aren’t a lot of options for people who want to do it. Technical writing is always needed-look at tech-heavy areas for options, but I suspect you’ll have stiff competition.
I used to be a technical writer and manager of technical publications for a large software company, and my S is a (relatively new) journalist. Although a person doesn’t need a journalism master’s to be a journalist, Columbia taught him how to be a professional journalist and he graduated with a job at a daily regional paper. That is not his ultimate writing goal, but it’s an excellent start.
Technical writing is unlikely to be a good choice for someone who can’t sit still for 20 minutes. It’s a great job if you are a person who enjoys learning and communicating, and if you pick the right kind of place to work. If you work for a bank, you are strictly part of overhead and you are there only because regulatory bodies demand that the in-house software be documented. Excruciating, to me. If you work for a software development company, on the other hand, what you do is part of the product, and you are the bridge between the developers and the users. It can be a lot of fun.
If you are at all interested in the field, I suggest that you start looking at job ads and see what kind of software they want you to know. Things change constantly, but typically there are page makeup packages and online help facility development packages that are currently popular, and a lot of places will demand that you already know whatever it is that they use. (Which is stupid and short-sighted IMNSHO, because if you are too dumb to quickly pick up a new pagemaker or word processor, you are too dumb to learn my company’s software, but that’s the kind of thing that some HR depts impose on people.)
I’m a bit at a loss for what to tell you because most of the best alternatives for journalists are stable desk jobs, often in marketing, ha. (or, as others mentioned, technical writing or copy writing) It’s tough because you’re an introvert, to boot, and usually desk jobs (ie: stable, quiet office jobs) are bread and butter for introverts. I am an introvert with a BS in journalism and have happily worked a desk job in marketing for six years–way better fit/better pay than journalism (which also made me hella anxious–I loathed reporting + tight deadlines).
The only thing I can think of, given the intersection of interests/“can’t sit still” requirements would be to look into the tech industry… you love fitness/travel–what about apps/start-ups serving those areas that need writers/communications specialists/marketing? You’ll still be at a desk but if you work for a place with a dynamic project load you may not feel boxed in. ie: look at young/fresh, non-corporate jobs with lots to do. Or, work for a fancy gym in their events/marketing department? I don’t recommend sales if you have social anxiety–I briefly did that (just over the phone!) and it was nightmare fuel.
Generally: you are only 22. You might have to learn to hone your focus because most jobs ideal for an introvert with social anxiety (re: reporting) will require project-based focus in an office environment 9 hours a day, at least starting out. When you are more experienced/have a deeper skill set, you may do well at starting your own business, or doing freelance based work. It can be hand to mouth sometimes but someone with editorial skills can do well freelancing as an editor/writer/marketer buttttt I don’t recommend it to those start out b/c anyone can hang out a shingle “freelance editing” and there’s a lot of competition/saturation.
I think before anyone considers a career in journalism they may want to try to understand the range of opportunities in various media, including broadcast and print. My son is a journalist. He didn’t start his career that way. But he could do research on any subject, and he could write very well and effectively. He did not major in or take even one course in journalism. He majored in a social science and had a variety of applied skills including math, as well as special avocations and hobbies. His medium now is blogging, though he worked for a spell with a newspaper.
I have a master’s degree in journalism. It helped me make the transition from technical writer to science writer, which was a much better fit.
My favorite science writing job was in the PR department of a major medical school, a job that required me to write for the press, not as the press. I was in and out of labs, interviewing basic researchers and physicians, watching surgical procedures, etc., so that I could write articles and press releases to garner media interest in the research coming out of my medical school.
I did have to sit for more than 20 minutes, but the job was constantly changing, and I never stopped learning. If this sounds like fun to you, look into this type of work.
Finally, though, you do not choose a 40 year career at 22. Some people do the same thing for 40 years, but many, if not most, do not.
I majored in journalism, did work for a newspaper for a while, but the majority of the time I worked in public relations, marketing and eventually advertising. Writing skills can be used in a variety of settings. Of the three jobs the most interesting was public relations. I wrote and edited the company newsletter, did press releases, wrote speeches. It was a mix of office work (writing, editing, layout, phone calls) and being on the go at special events, doing interviews for the newsletter (not difficult to get an interview when you have a captive audience, lol!), taking pictures etc.
This was a couple decades ago, so I’m sure there is a social media component involved now.
My BFF is a journalism. She had a very traditional career as a reporter then as an editor at a big city newspaper, and even won a Pulitzer. She worked for our University for a while setting up its new mass media department. She doesn’t have a masters, and the only thing it really prevented her from doing is teaching journalism. She was an instructor at one point, but couldn’t become a professor because of the lack of an advanced degree. She now does radio news producing.
Lots of areas of journalism for you to explore. Most of the successful ones (and I know a lot of them through her) have another specialty and they cover that specialty - sports, law, religion, world events, politics.
I have a master’s in journalism. I’ve worked for a newspaper, in the communications sections of two Fortune 500 companies, and for two government agencies. I’m also an introvert.
If you really love to write, I would advise you to look into the corporate communications side of journalism. I’ve found that these positions tend to be more flexible in conducting face-to-face interviews or emailed questions. Also, since they are more PR oriented, you will work with the marketing/sales departments to craft the company’s side of the stories. Once you have a fairly good idea what that is, it becomes much easier to draft your releases, and people will generally “feed” you what you need. But again, you can get up and go to where they are or, if you are feeling highly introverted that day, have them email you some basic copy. The biggest challenge I had was translating their “tech speak” into common, universally understandable English.
Oh, I almost forgot. If you do decide to stay in the traditional journalism side of things, you will most likely have a designated “beat” such as education, religion, business, etc. It may seem scary making new contacts at first, but soon you’ll get to know them. In my government position, I routinely deal with a handful of political reporters to the point where I pretty much have a general idea of what questions they’re going to ask before they even get to the press conference.
It’s a great job if you are a person who enjoys learning and communicating, and if you pick the right kind of place to work. If you work for a bank, you are strictly part of overhead and you are there only because regulatory bodies demand that the in-house software be documented. Excruciating, to me. If you work for a software development company, on the other hand, what you do is part of the product, and you are the bridge between the developers and the users. It can be a lot of fun.