<p>English has always been my favorite subject. I love reading books and writing stories. Because of this I think that I really want to major in Journalism. I got a perfect score on my tenth grade MCAS test so I can go to UMass Amherst with free tuition. My parents have no money to help me pay for school so I basically have no other option. How is the Honors Journalism program there? Will I be able to get a job with a major magazine or newspaper from there?</p>
<p>The journalism industry as a whole is in a mess, as well as going through a business model and information organization evolution. From the operations standpoint, print is in decline, and the web brought upon multiple competitors with technology to showcase news as quickly as the media conglomerates. </p>
<p>Via information, the industry is diluted with many sources of news reporting and blogging. This makes it hard for certain media companies in the industry to set themselves up as a unique source, thereby both of these issues take money away from companies. What happens is that they hire less and less, and freelancing has become more of the norm.</p>
<p>The program at Umass has brought about some talented journalists and editors over the last few years, but these people got jobs and opportunities because they were making a name for themselves while still in the undergrad program. I can’t vouch for the honors program because I only took one semester there, but through my peers I can try to provide some hints:</p>
<ol>
<li>Immerse yourself in Journalism, regardless of work ethic.</li>
</ol>
<p>Sometimes you might have classes that are easy, and they could confuse the type of work ethic you need to survive as a good journalists. Constantly immerse yourself with teachers, seminars, and any type of extra-credit where you can learn more and work harder. Umass is a party school, so beware that the fun life can be distracting.</p>
<ol>
<li>Know the local AND national journalism scene.</li>
</ol>
<p>There are opportunities to intern at different media outlets in the area. Take advantage of these and know their business models (which is usually print ad-based). Talk to journalists and see what their take is on consistent news stories in the area (such as bad weather, or increase drug use) and see if you can come up with your own ideas for stories.</p>
<p>Be aware of the national scene as well. Papers are moving to online formats; you might need to know how that will affect you when you graduate college. </p>
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<li>Tedious work; be good at it.</li>
</ol>
<p>Writing about poll results for a local election or sifting through police logs can be extremely boring. Learn how to do this boring stuff well. Even better, learn how to take boring or meaningless information and bring about a story from it. </p>
<ol>
<li>Create your own blog/print media</li>
</ol>
<p>Easier said than done, but if you work on your own website, and use the tools you get from the honors program, you will be further ahead in the game than other undergrads. There are teachers in the department who can give you a head start. There are 20K+ students on-campus and an extra 10-20K of people off campus. There are plenty of people who are there to read new print other than the school newspaper.</p>
<ol>
<li>Get a mentor</li>
</ol>
<p>Find an advisor or mentor and allow them to guide you through your studies. Make sure it is someone who is as knowledgeable of the digital evolution of media as well as traditional. </p>
<ol>
<li>Study the tools of the trade.</li>
</ol>
<p>Learn how to be a journalist. There are countless tools at your disposal, from audio recorders, video recorders, information organization programs, collaborative programs etc. Leanr to organize yourself beyond print. Develop stories with audio and video as well. </p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Be aware! The tuition at UMass is ludicrously low, like just over $1000. It’s the humongous fees that your “scholarship” does not cover that can make UMass Amherst more expensive than private schools that may offer you amazing grants, scholarships, etc. I attended Mt. Holyoke for less than it would have cost to go to UMass, and my D is attending a private university for much less than UMass would have cost, and she also had the Abigail Adams scholarship to put toward any Mass public college or university. It’s practically a game they are playing with that scholarship!</p>