Yet another question: would a Journalism major be a bad idea?

Parents Forum
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<p>I have always loved writing and dreamed of writing for newspapers, magazines, etc.
Yet, I have always been told that a journalism major is a bad idea. So I decided to major in Business and Psychology, which I also really like.</p>

<p>After deciding to enroll at Chapel Hill, I realized that their journalism program was really good. I have been thinking that as much as I would love a Psychology major has too many what-ifs and that it might be wise to major in Journalism and Business. My goal is to get many good internships, write for the UNC newspaper (ranked third), and maybe even become editor-in-chief of it.</p>

<p>But I keep hearing that a journalism major is a bad idea!! Is it a bad idea even if I go to UNC? Is it a bad idea even if I combine it with a business major? Would I be better off majoring in Psychology? </p>

<p>Sorry for my frequent post in this forum, but I posted this in the UNC and Other Majors forums and got very few responses. I always find the parent forum extremely helpful :)</p>

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<p>Do what you love, and where you'll feel challenged.</p>

<p>Life is short.</p>

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<p>Why do you think journalism isn't a good major? My brother majored in journalism (at UNC) and is an editor at a paper there in your state, loves what he does, is erudite, funny, gets to meet lots of people, in on the action all the time...it's a wonderful career. You're at the right place for it, and business too (Isn't Kenan Flagler ranked in the top 10?). A journalism AND business degree from UNC would be outstanding!</p>

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<p>Many people I know would say, "A psychology major? What are you going to do with that?!" </p>

<p>The problem with newspaper journalism is that the newspapers are having a hard time financially and the field may not be as good as it was in decades past. But that doesn't mean that you can't succeed in it though.</p>

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<p>My colleague' daughter majored in journalism and went to law school afterward. It appears that you could use it in many different ways, so long as you are good at it.</p>

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<p>Print journalism will probably look very different by the time you reach mid-career, but the skills that you'll learn, good research, effective writing, communications skills, ethics, etc. will always be in demand. The way you describe it "have always loved," "dreamed of writing" sounds like a real passion. I doubt you'll regret pursuing your passion, no matter where it leads you in the end.</p>

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<p>UNC used to have a RTVMP major/minor (?) (radio, television, motion picture) which I believe was an offshoot of journalism. I don't know that it's a given that "journalism" is strictly print or includes other media.</p>

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<p>What about an English major? It's broader, but still encompasses what you seem to be interested in.</p>

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<p>My S is planning to major in journalism. I have also heard from some people that it's best to major in something else, like English or History, to be more well-rounded. But all of the accredited journalism programs in the US require that you take 2/3 of your coursework outside the major and either have a minor or a concentration in something other than journalism. That, to me, seems to address the well-roundedness aspect. Plus, if you are at a great J-school, you will have lots of opportunities for directly applicable internships that you otherwise might not have access to. UNC-CH has a fantastic J-school. My opinion is go for it, if it's what you want!</p>

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<p>Thank you for your responses! I thought Journalism was a no-no after searching "j-schools" and "journalism" here on CC. I learned that most Journalists did not major in Journalism but in fields like History, Political Science, etc.
I think that I failed to mention that I also love Psychology. I was thinking that maybe I could get the best of both worlds: I could major in Psychology and write for the newspaper. And yet another part of me wants to do Journalism well and take every opportunity I can to eventually "make it."
But I also really want to do journalism!</p>

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<p>Follow your bliss!!! I regret trying to be practical in choosing my own college major years ago. I majored in government thinking it would help me get a job. Just try to get a well-rounded education and let your interests be your guide! As a former reporter, I can tell you that getting some good clips by working on your student newspaper is going to help you get a newspaper job a lot more than your choice of major.</p>

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<p>Tough choice! I have also always been very passionate about journalism, and get very discouraged when people tell me a journalism degree is worthless and/or you'll never make a living as a reporter (two very separate issues!).</p>

<p>Anyway, if I decide to pursue journalism, I will most certainly combine it with another major to make sure I am well-educated about the world and not just technical news-writing proficiency. </p>

<p>Your problem sounds like you are into one too many things! It's probably not feasible to major in all three of them. For some people, a degree in journalism is feasible to combine with their passions, and is a helpful leg-up when looking for internships and exploring other careers in communications (if they have not narrowed down their interests to one type of reporting). </p>

<p>My advice is to continue as a double-major in psychology and business, which will be a great foundation for a career as a journalist. In addition, you can spend time writing for the newspaper or even seek out writing/journalism-related internships in business or psychology. There are many special business or science publications you could consider writing for. I think this option combines your interests in the most efficient way. I don't think a journalism degree in /general/ is a bad idea - it can be an asset to an individual's education. In your case, though, it seems there are other avenues to your passion besides pursuing the major.</p>

<p>Start looking for opportunities to get clips right away! If you feel you are not getting enough practical experience, or fall madly in love with journalism and couldn't imagine wasting your time on your business homework instead of a reporting class, /then/ might be the time to consider changing your academic focus. Right now, I don't think you have to choose between studying journalism or psychology/business to be a writer and do what you've always dreamed of doing.</p>

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<p>as suggested above, print journalism is waning. The J program at my school is still flogging print because the instructors are clinging to the past. I just returned from a J conference where the advice from the pros was clear -- if you want a career in journalism, learn video, learn podcasting, learn web design, and be prepared to do your own graphic design too. Look around -- the change is already here. With the exception of a few really big names, print newspapers are outre.</p>

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<p>People say that business degrees are not a good idea as they're too pre-professional, don't allow for the student to become well-rounded, and say that Economics is better.</p>

<p>Who are they to say that? People also say that if you want to work in finance, it's better to major in engineering than finance. What if you hate engineering and just want to take finance classes though? I doubt majoring in engineering would be good for those people.</p>

<p>I have found that people should pick a major that they love, do work in a field that they love, and hopefully do it well. The skills you learn and the person you will be once you graduate are far more important than the major you graduate with. If majoring in business is what you really love even though you want to go into journalism, then go for it. If journalism is what you love, then major in it and forget what the people are saying.</p>

<p>Most say this because the entire field is becoming overcrowded, but as with anything, if you are really good at what you do you'll find a job regardless. There are many, many lawyers in the US, which may be a reason to tell people not to go to law school, but if you think you have a good shot at becoming a great lawyer, then why not? </p>

<p>Also keep in mind who the person giving you this advice is. Some people might enjoy English more then Journalism as they see English as a more academic discipline, therefore they focus more on it and become good writers because they enjoy their major and classes. The opposite could easily be true though, you don't need to major in English to be a good writer. </p>

<p>I'm sure some people could become great writers by going to Barnes and Noble, reading through hundreds of books, then writing constantly until they get it right. This approach is likely not the best for most people, but if it works for you, who cares if it doesn't work for others?</p>

<p>The one thing I would worry about with majors is job opportunities and internships based on the specific school in your college. If the business school happens to have a great career center, while the journalism school has a reputation for horrible internship opportunities, then it might pay to stay in the business school. It sounds like both programs are very good at UNC, so I don't think you could go wrong with either one.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the advice!
I got some clips in my town newspaper last year. It was a small newspaper, but most of them were in the front page...
I am still really confused about whether a journalism major would be helfpul. If it would be helfpul, at all, then I would go for it. But if it was the same or worse than majoring in Psychology, I would major in Psychology.
I want to do business not only because I loved econ, fbla experiences, etc. but also because I think it might be helfpul in almost every career that I could pursue.</p>

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<p>I thought our democracy is based on freedom of press and informed citizenship which journalism plays an essential role. What will be likely to happen if our future generations are advised to stay away from this field?</p>

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<p>This is from "back in the day" but my older brother retired as a newspaper journalist. </p>

<p>First, he took his undergraduate degree in liberal arts, studying everything related to Social Science and English (his major) that fascinated him. He learned how to tackle ANY new subject that came his way, had a great sense of detail, and ear for dialogue and how people spoke, passion for the American political process, and a circle of friends that encompassed many other majors and areas of interest. His college EC's included hosting a talk radio show. He was a Renaissance man who believed in becoming EDUCATED. He knows his History like you can't believe. The English major gave him strong analytic and writing skills but in no way equipped him to work for a newspaper all by itself.
In fact, the social science courses, and the critiques of professors to sharpen his critical thinking, were crucial to his observation and reporting skills.</p>

<p>He taught English for a year but disliked the culture. He thought he disliked working under so much structure, but when the structure became newspaper structure, he discovered that he thrived with it.</p>

<p>So he took a one-year masters degree in journalism at the Univ. of New Hampshire which fine-tuned all of his skills in a focussed way that newspapers needed at that time. </p>

<p>He worked for one of the last family-owned newspapers in the country and withstood every recession because he was flexible and capable of doing many jobs on that paper. He was their MVP. The bosses could fit him into anything and he could handle it, because of his non-careerist undergraduate approach, top-shelf education, followed by the professional focus of the masters degree.</p>

<p>At various points, the Editor had him cover local political news in several towns and write his own feature column with picture and byline. He was a copy editor, th features editor, then at one point he worked a 4 a.m. shift because he alone could understand the incoming international news as it came off the wire and determine what was important to pursue for that day. </p>

<p>He did not make a lot of money but could always sustain himself. He loved his work. He never had children but frankly his scrapbooks of columns are a kind of legacy that everyone in the extended family appreciates. As we all savor our old family photo albums, he gets to leaf through his columns and the letters-to-the-editor that they sometimes engendered. </p>

<p>Certainly you wouldn't want to repeat his exact path, but I'm wondering why even worry about undergrad major IF there are still one-year masters programs around to get the latest, newest jobsite skills, following an excellent
liberal arts foundation. </p>

<p>I think if he'd tried to jump right from his B.A. into newspaper work, he might have been like too many reporters he saw around himself all the time, hired and fired. The masters degree gave him that difference.</p>

<p>Hope this helps.</p>

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<p>My older D graduated from UGA. She actually has a dual degree: Magazines (from Grady journalism) and History (from A&S). She took many of her electives in graphic arts and is currently working for a small regional magazine publisher as an associate editor. She wears many hats and does a variety of jobs there and feels that she is learning as she goes. Her favorite part of her job is not the writing, but the layout/graphic part and she is actually considering a return to school for a MBA (leaning towards marketing or advertising). She enjoyed two interesting internship opportunities while an undergraduate; one with an historic preservation organization and the other with a small book publisher. We were pleased with UGA, but found that getting the necessary classes was sometimes difficult. She did manage to graduate in 3-1/2 years, so it is not impossible.</p>

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<p>Thank you for all the responses - they certainly did help.
A Journalism degree from UNC would allow for a liberal arts education. In fact, most of the degree comes from the college of arts and sciences as UNC stresses a liberal arts education.
I think I will go through the Journalism path, simply because the writing skills AND the liberal arts education seem very beneficial to me. I am not one of those extremely talented writers who don't need help.
I am sad to part with Psychology, but that is what electives are for, right?
If anybody has anything to enlighten me in this subject matter, it would help A LOT. It might be dumb to worry about my major now, but I want to do a lo of things in college and would hate to be stopped from doing those things because of indecisiveness. So I thought it might be good to do a lot of research before majoring in something :)</p>

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<p>Can you get your minor in Psychology? Or at least a concentration? You will have to take at least 2/3 of your coursework outside of Journalism - might as well have a lot of them be Psychology courses!</p>