I am completely biased in this post because of my own studies in journalism. That said:
Newspapers are downsizing. Jobs are being cut. The journalism field is in the midst of a re-invention. Despite the landscape and view people may hold when they think of today’s journalism, enrollment in journalism school has INCREASED!
Recently on the Mizzou Mafia’s list serv (we do exist), an alum wrote about her frustration when a prospective freshman asked her about a career in journalism. She just felt like she couldn’t encourage the girl to go into a field that she felt was losing hope.
However, when my High School Senior, Class of 2009 cousin asked me about it the other weekend, I was thrilled. I still encourage perspective students and recent grads to continue in the field of journalism. To provide evidence as to why and to help spread hope in the journalism field, I write this letter:
********************
Dear May 2009 Graduate,
Here are 40 reasons to still study journalism:
- We need journalism. As a society, we need journalism to help us be the watchdog, to speak for the people, to highlight issues and areas that need addressed, to highlight people’s voices and to protect our freedoms.
- As a society, we need good journalism. We need journalism that knows its purpose and role in society. We need journalism to remember its roots, and as Walter William said in the Journalist’s Creed, we need journalism to act as a public service.
- We need good journalists. We need journalists who can be jugglers. Journalists who are multi-faceted, sharp, quick, curious, creative, inventive, profound and moving.
- We need journalism’s spirit. Imagine if more of this moved in our words, writing and work: Also from the Journalists Creed: Journalism…“seeks to give every man a chance and, as far as law and honest wage and recognition of human brotherhood can make it so, an equal chance; is profoundly patriotic while sincerely promoting international good will and cementing world-comradeship; is a journalism of humanity, of and for today’s world.”
- We need the next generation’s talent. You grew up with technology. You care about your friends and your communities. You aren’t afraid. We need you, your ideas, your voices, your tech-saavy minds, your perspective, and your willingness to adapt, change and evolve.
- Journalism teaches you to be a writer, and a good one. In just about any profession, you will be a writer at some point. Journalism teaches you how to write. And when you know how to write, people will value this talent and gift no matter what your title, job or industry.
- Journalism teaches you to be a talker, and a good one. Again, in any profession, you will be called upon to speak at some point. Journalism provides you a firm foundation to know what to say, how to say it and why you are saying it.
- Journalism teaches you to defend your stance, your writing and your character. When you write or talk, no matter if it’s in work, in relationships or through your passions, you will need to know why you do what you do and write what you write. You will also need to identify your limits and your “no-fly” zones/issues.
- Journalism teaches you ethics. You might be scoffing. But, in j-school, they really do teach ethics, and it’s fascinating. You are reporting and telling people’s stories. These are real people and real issues that your words and actions will affect. It is not something to take lightly.
- Journalism teaches you to learn on the fly. You will learn something new everyday. Some events you can’t prepare for and sometimes you must be an expert on a situation you just learned about 20 minutes ago. Get ready. (Thanks @brenda_haines for that one!)
- Journalism teaches you how to ask questions, including the tough ones. The field is right there with you, and it’s got your back because people want and need to know. You ask the question not just for yourself or your editor, but because you represent “the people.” This will come in handy because in life, sometimes, it’s easy not to ask the tough ones or to think someone else will do it. But, as a j-schooler, you will learn how to take the initiative and be confident in your curiosity.
- Journalism makes you look at situations, problems and issues from multiple perspectives. It gets you out of your comfort zone. Again, great lessons for life.
- Journalism teaches you to be a good networker. You have to build relationships with your sources and with those gateways to your sources. You also learn how to identify resources, another important aspect of networking.
- Journalism teaches you to be a good researcher. You must fact check, and fact check again. You are given an assignment and you must find out all the answers to all the questions your audience may have about your assignment so you can write the best write-up possible or capture the best video.
- Journalism teaches you confidence. To succeed, especially in broadcast journalism, you have to be confident in your research, words, and actions. It also helps you identify confidence in others, which is a good talent when fact checking sources, seeking talent, choosing a mentor, finding a love interest or when making a friend.
- The world becomes a smaller place. Journalism gives you the platform to meet a diverse amount of people, study diverse issues and if you want, even travel to diverse countries.
- Journalism clues you into newsworthiness. You learn how to be interesting, how to make conversation, how to potentially position a business or what to cover for a blog. Newsworthiness is a subject that I think all should take a class in. For example, can you define all the elements of newsworthiness? Here’s three to get you started: proximity, timeliness and prominence.
- There are cutting-edge and exciting projects developing. The New York Times just hired a Social Media Editor. People are curious if newspapers will become non-profits. Organizations are adopting journalistic principles into their work. It’s an exciting time to get started.
- You can explore your creativity. Writing, photography, art direction, videography, graphic design, Web production, etc. all utilize skills learned in journalism school.
- There are plenty of stories still needing to be told. @Boones6433 helped me with this one, and it’s true. So many rocks still left to uncover, in your community, state, nation and around the globe.
- It’s historic. You can say you were there. You get involved in history by helping to create and influence it.
- People in journalism are diverse, eclectic and interesting. Maybe I’m biased by the program I went to, but you meet people from all walks of life, varied experiences and a long span of passions. It’s inspiring and motivating.
- Gives you an excuse to talk to someone in the know. Doing an interesting piece on dairy recall in stores across the nation? This gives you a perfect reason to try and get in touch with someone at Baskin Robbins or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Better yet, do graduate research on any topic you find interesting and find a way to interview people “in the know.”
- You grow broad shoulders. People will critique your work. If not an editor, then your readers. You learn to brave the wind, and it makes you a better person for it, even beyond the world of journalism.
- Make the right decision the first time. Enrollment of older adults in journalism is increasing. Some reasons are because of its appeal, the breadth of skills it teaches and the variety of doors it opens. Don’t not go to j-school because you are afraid nothing will come of it. Have a better reason for an alternative than fear.
- You can reach more people than ever. With the help of evolving technology, today’s stories have the capability to be heard around the world instantaneously.
- You can be you. According to Mark Glaser at PBS, Web technologies and blogs offer reporters the ability to “explain their conflicts of interest in greater detail, leading to more transparency. Plus, online writing tends to be more personal, giving reporters, editors and news anchors the chance to be more human and connect with their audience in deeper ways.”
- It’s easier to freelance. With blogging and others sites like Craigslist, E-Lance, iFreelance and others, jobs are literally right at your fingertips.
- There are internships galore that you can start doing now. Because of the economic crunch many journalism organizations are facing, the amount of internships have increased….everywhere. With some creativity and some luck, you can even make your own internship opportunity anywhere you want. Journalism can truly be an entrepreneurial field that you define and mold.
- There are top-notch universities with amazing learning labs. For some of the top ones, check out Missouri’s School of Journalism (my alma mater), Columbia, NYU, and Northwestern.
- Inside information is easier to attain. According to the Online Journalism Blog, “wikileaks and the like” have make it easier for people with sensitive information to bypass censorship, making information more available.
- It’s less costly to do. The Online Journalism Blog also notes how today’s journalists can conduct interviews over Skype or through email for free.
- You mom will be proud. You can have a moment of nano-fame when you first get “published” and the byline says your name. Keep it, frame it, dance around and call your mom. I admit I did exactly that.
- You will know how to mediate a conversation. The journalism profession teaches you how to keep conversation going person to person or within groups both small and large. This is helpful for work meetings, making small talk or even arguments amongst friends.
- You will learn how to multi-task. Your phone is ringing with a hot new lead. You have a deadline in a two hours. You still need to fact check. You need to follow-up to some emails and you have a meeting in ten minutes. Yay, like, I said earlier, jugglers.
- You can make a difference. Cliche? Maybe. But you can. Depending on your interests and passions, you can make a difference. I used to report for Adelante on Mid-Missouri’s Latino population. We made a difference as we were the only print voice for Latinos in all of Mid-Missouri by bringing attention to worker conditions, immigration issues and health conditions just to name a few.
- You will learn tangible skills. Studying journalism, you will be able to develop tangible skills. Not just writing, interviewing and researching, but also Web literacy, photoshop techniques, Flash, Studio 8, Videography, video editing, and many more.
- You can pursue graduate education. There are many top-notch graduate programs that can be leveraged to open new doors and opportunities. As I like to say, in journalism, you can own your education. Love the art of journalism, but interested in public health but also like to travel? Then, do a graduate fellowship or research project abroad covering community health. Like studying how technology affects communication? Then, create your own research study to measure an organization’s Diffusion of Innovation.
- It changes everyday. This is more true nowadays than ever before. The field is constantly evolving. Sure, stories may last longer, but being a journalists means different assignments, different interviews and different situations. You won’t be bored.
- Twitter tweeps agree that studying journalism is invaluable. Don’t believe me? Then ask these tweeps:
The goal is to get to 50. I’ve done the first 40. Going with the whole co-creation concept and knowing SB readers are smart and savvy, I figure you’ll have some reasons of your own to expand the list! =)
flickr credit: Jonathan Pobre
************ (from the comments):
#41: Headline writing is great practice in a social world. With only 140 characters on Twitter and the increasing need to be short, simple and to the point. @brenda_haines reminds us that headline writing is great practice for Twitter posting.
#42: MerAnda added–Being a reporter means your job will be cooler, or at least perceived as more interesting, than 95 percent of the kids you went to high school with. When someone asks what you do, they can’t help but want to know more when you say you’re a journalist.
#43: MerAnda added–Even if you don’t get rich (and you probably won’t), you will at least have some great stories to tell. What’s the craziest crash, destruction or natural disaster you’ve ever seen? What was the best performance or speech you’ve attended? Who’s the biggest celeb you’ve met? Most people have responses to these. You will be able to not only top most of them, but because you’ve been trained to notice and remember details, your story will be more vivid and interesting.
#44: MerAnda added–You’ll learn to find interest in subjects you’re not naturally interested in. That will make you a more well rounded person, not only in journalism but also in life.
#45: MerAnda added–Journalism can take you anywhere. There is no geographical limit to stories waiting to be told. And with the Internet and freelance opportunities, there are few limits on the outlets and methods in which those stories can be shared.
#46: MerAnda added–You don’t have to wonder if people read what you write. The proof is there in black and white. There are people responding to your stories, in letters to the editor or story chats or through blog posts or calls to you.
#47: MerAnda added–You don’t have to work 9 to 5. In fact, you probably won’t. (SB: I would also add that you won’t work 9 to 5. You will probably be on call around the clock and find yourself working at odd hours, especially the more technology evolves. This, at times, can create more flexibility, but also teaches you some mean time management skills.)
#48 MerAnda added–Strangers will recognize you, if not by sight, then by name. Your byline may be small and easy to skip over skimming the publication, but the people who care about the topic you cover, know who you are and are familiar with your work.
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Yes, but if you’re actually smart, you can do all this anyway – and without another $50,000 in student loans.
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And, another extremely important benefit: Headline-writing is great training for Twitter.
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Hi Alexandra,
Thank you for linking to me in this post. I love your 40 reasons. They would seduce anyone into studying journalism – you make it sound so good.
I can imagine it is a lot of fun even being hard work too. My favourite is No.39. Changes. It’s the consistently changing environment that makes freelance writing so attractive to me. You never get bored.
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It’s less about you being biased, more about you being passionate. Anyone with the amount of passion you clearly have is well placed to work toward their goals and reasonably expect to succeed.
And if after reading your 40 reasons to still study Journalism, someone is still not totally excited about making it work, they seriously need to question their plans!
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Fantastic list. I’ll ask around to see if we can get it to 50.
-@suzanneyada
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@Suzanna Thanks for the help in getting the word out. Glad to see the list helping others!
@Martin Thanks for the compliments. It can be a daunting world out there if you look at “journalism.” I just wanted to shed some light on how j-school teaches you skills and lessons that you really can “take with you” and apply in a variety of roles.
@Brenda I love that one! I’ve seen that true in my own experience. I’ll add it as #41. =)
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Great list!
I would add as a complements to teaches you to be a writer and to be a talker:
* Journalism teaches you to listen well. Even to people you don’t agree with.
I’d also add:
* Being a reporter means your job will be cooler, or at least perceived as more interesting, than 95 percent of the kids you went to high school with. When someone asks what you do, they can’t help but want to know more when you say you’re a journalist.
* Even if you don’t get rich (and you probably won’t), you will at least have some great stories to tell. What’s the craziest crash, destruction or natural disaster you’ve ever seen? What was the best performance or speech you’ve attended? Who’s the biggest celeb you’ve met? Most people have responses to these. You will be able to not only top most of them, but because you’ve been trained to notice and remember details, you’re story will be more vivid and interesting.
* You’ll learn to find interest in subjects you’re not naturally interested in. That will make you a more well rounded person, not only in journalism but also in life.
* Journalism can take you anywhere. There is no geographical limit to stories waiting to be told. And with the Internet and freelance opportunities, there are few limits on the outlets and methods in which those stories can be shared.
* You don’t have to wonder if people read what you write. The proof is there in black and white. There are people responding to your stories, in letters to the editor or story chats or through blog posts or calls to you.
* You don’t have to work 9 to 5. In fact, you probably won’t.
If I think of any more, I’ll post them here or on Twitter or my blog. Hope that helps!
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@Merenda
You rock. Your list brings us to 47 reasons! I love the one about the job being “cooler.” Many of my journalism friends have great stories to tell, which makes a phone call, happy hour or dinner always something to look forward to even more. On the 9-5 one, ya, you won’t work 9-5. More likely, in this day and age, you will work around the clock. 😉
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Thanks, Alex. Three quick follow ups:
1) In #43 can you fix my grammar: …you’ve been trained to notice and remember details, you’re story will be more vivid…. I do know the difference between you’re and your, was just typing quick.
2) My name is spelled MerAnda. It’s a quirky spelling of Miranda, I know. 😉
3) I thought of one more for reporters & photographers: Strangers will recognize you, if not by sight then by name. Your byline may be small and easy to skip over skimming the publication, but the people who care about the topic you cover know who you are and are familiar with your work.
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Great list, very positive (how refreshing!).
New one: You’ll always have something interesting to talk about.
A TV news producer friend of mine once remarked that she saw things while working on stories that she never would have seen otherwise. (Not all of them were nice or pleasant, of course.) Now she tells her children never to take for granted that the world is as it appears — there is always more going on than you know!
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You are right, of course. These are the reasons we do it already.
Can’t help but thinking that preaching to the converted (ie, the people who think a career in journalism would be fun, honourable, etc etc)is one thing, while preaching to those with the real power – the employers, the advertisers, the consumer? is another…
http://inkybinary.wordpress.com/2009/04/13/the-future-of-a-broadcast-media-that-cant-invest-in-young-talent/
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@MerAnda Ah, thanks for the spelling info. I was just going by how it looks in the comments. But, will make those changes and add the strangers one too. Thanks.
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Your reasons just completely made me feel guilty about walking away from my studies in journalism a year ago. I freaked out during finals of my junior year of school. Although only Arizona State, I know it has a bad partying image, the Walter Cronkite professional program pushes their journalist students to a much higher limit than the rest of the student body. Immediately after withdrawing in may and taking on sociology and a minor in mass communication/media analysis, I regretted the decision. However, I will admit that the experience I had as a journalism major did change me. I fully support and encourage the interest in journalism. I suppose graduate school could further my future again in journalism again, but if not, I am glad that I can say the majority of the reasons have greatly affected me and I apply each to not only my professional, but personal life as well. Thank you for writing that. I hope it reaches a larger audience than imaginable.
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@Emma
Please don’t feel guilty, but feel hopeful. You actually bring up another good point about studying journalism…not only are the skills that j-school teaches you transferable, but it can always be a base. So, now you are studying sociology and communications. Good news: You can still do journalism! What is journalism? (This is a much bigger question for another day) But, journalism can be whatever you make of it. You can write for a sociology magazine, start a blog about sociology and the role is plays in news gathering, culture or human behavior. Or, you can go to graduate school or be a professor and do journalism by writing and conducting research, etc. Juornalism is about writing, researching, uncovering news, painting stories, capturing a moment, etc. You are the one who gets to define it and shape it for the future. You might think you “left” journalism, but journalism hasn’t left you. 😉
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Along the lines of learning something new everyday — when I was working full time in news I rarely went a week without leaving an interview thinking “wow, cool!” Esp. with topics in medicine and science. I knew about nanotechnology before many knew it had nothing to do with Mork. I tell my students – if you are curious, this is the career for you. Is one of your first questions … “I wonder why…X…happens?” And – as pointed out, few careers let you walk up to almost anyone, introduce yourself and start asking questions!
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Great list. I agree that a solid journalism cirriculum is still a great field. My undergrad is basically journalism with a PR emphasis, and I’m finishing my master’s in jourmalism and mass comm, so perhaps I’m biased like you as well. You sort of hinted at this, but I would also add:
Just because you get a degree in journalism doesn’t mean you’re tied to a job in journalism. Especially given all these other points, it’s still a good idea to study journalism if writing and learning are your passion, beause you don’t have to worry that you will only be able to work in “journalism as we know it” — or even journalism at all.
Especially as the entire media landscape is evolving with the current state of the legacy media, the conflux of other professions along with journalism converging upon social media, and the blurring lines between personal and professional, I think the skills of journalism are still important and valuable.
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Bravo! Ditto on the above and my addition: Journalism is a license to learn and explore every day of your life. It’s a passport to new worlds and a reminder to pay attention. What could be better?
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My two cents worth:
a democracy cannot achieve its “best self” without a free press to keep it honest
I suspect the art, science and profession of journalism provides a “theory and value base,” with which to understand the world
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Great points–as someone who has moved into PR/Marketing writing I heartily support your view that this is a career and education that can take you all kinds of places in life. I wouldn’t trade my three grueling years at a small-town daily newspaper for anything. I learned how to write, how to ask the tough questions, how to juggle priorities, and be persistent. All invaluable for the work I do now. Another tip–if you’re already in a journalism career but looking to increase your understanding of a specific field, there is now a mid-career MA at Columbia J-School that I attended and would recommend very highly. More info. at: http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/cs/ContentServer/jrn/1165270052332/page/1165270052391/JRNSimplePage2.htm
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Interestingly, “getting a job” isn’t one of the reasons listed above – probably due to cases like this one in Newsweek (http://www.newsweek.com/id/194996?from=rss).
Although, going to J-school probably isn’t done solely for getting a job in journalism – people do it for all of the other reasons listed above. I think it’s funny to read that Newsweek article, and even if I felt bad for her and wanted to hire her, it’s damn difficult to find her by doing a Google search for her. She’s on Twitter, but has like 15 updates, no blog to show off her writing skills, no website – if you’re a new grad looking for a communications job, you HAVE to at least come up in a Google search, don’t you? Isn’t that common knowledge by now?
Great list though!
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Here’s One Reason to Study Grammar: So you don’t make a grammatical error in the headline of an article promoting journalism.
“Here ARE 40 Reasons to Still Study Journalism”
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Alex,
Great list. As another graduate from the Missouri School of Journalism this pulled at my heart strings and got me fired-up! Journalism is a strong degree that requires a well-rounded background and studies in many different areas. It requires critical thinking, superb communication abilities and loads of creativity. Even within a changing industry there is still a need for bright thinkers. I love that you covered this!
Awesome Job,
Emily
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Out on vacation…but so glad to check in and see so many wonderfully added comments.
@Jonathan Yours especially made me smile. 😉 In the headline, though it’s not said, I talk of the 40 reasons as a singular list, thus the “Here’s” ^a list of^ 40+ reasons…which is paralleled in the format I wrote the post, but hey, always learning and growing. Thanks for keeping me on my toes.
@Jacqui Honored by your comment! I like that: “Journalism is a passport…” There’s a reason Mizzou’s J-School is top notch. Thank you for all the work you do there and the inspiration you provide your students.
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Great list! Some more reasons:
• Great J Schools give the students an opportunity to pursue great journalism (thorough research, re-writes, feedback–discussions etc) whereas texts produced for real usually go straight into the paper. To have been in those seminars, discussing how ideal reporting should be done, is good as a base whenever the pressure to produce kicks in in the newsrooms.
• Maybe not an argument for majoring in journalism per se but for the profession:
It can really be executed anywere. I have been working in more café, bars, and restaurants than I can remember; also on beaches, in mountains, in deserts, in forests… With or without my laptop!
• J Schools usually is an entrance ticket to better internships than can found without them. My own, paid internship period 15 years ago is still crucual for what I do.
There are more reasons, but I think we’re up to 50 now…
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Sorry, last paragraph badly written. Should be:
• J Schools usually give an entrance ticket to better internships than can be found without them. My own, paid internship period at a news paper 15 years ago is still crucial for what I do today.
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Thank you,
This is really inspiring. Journalism is an interesting field with all its positive values, except for the fact that you live and die poor. Thank God that you journalists ‘die empty’ giving all you have to those who don’t have. That is the greatest grace one can receive. Many people suffer from ‘dying full. Without any remarkable contribution to their….
I HAVE AN OFFER FOR YOU. WHY JOURNALISTS WORK FOR A SALARY UNPROPORTIONAL TO THEIR ‘LABORIOUS’ TOIL? AN ACCOUNTANT SPENDS THE DAY SITTING IN HIS CHAIR AND AT THE END OF THE MONTH HE CAN’T SIT ON THE CHAIR FOR HIS POCKET (FULL OF MONEY) PRESSES HIM UP. BUT A JOURNALIST TOILS FULL DAY, AND FULL NIGHT, THE MONET HE GETS IS NOT EVEN AS THICK AS THE PEN HE USES TO WRITE. JOURNALISTS HAVE THE POWERFULL WEAPON IN THEIR HAND. WHY DON’T THEY MAKE USE OF IT AND WORK ON CHANGING THIS SITUATION? THAT IS MY OFFER.
STAY BLESSED
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Great words!
I’m a brazilian journalist student. Last week our rulers vote the journalist degree is no matter required.
All the students and professional press are disappointed and worried.
Your words make me feel so better about it!
Tks
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Great post! I’ll subscribe right now wth my feedreader software!
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More reasons:
– You’ll become an effective and persuasive story-teller (think lede exercises); if you ever want to helm an awareness project or lead a discussion, you’ll know how to get to the point and use the right facts and contacts.
– You’ll see the “other side” of the information stream; rather than being the person who reads the articles your RSS shoves at you, you’ll learn where the information comes from, how many individual people it involves, how much number-crunching and original thinking, analysis or editing it requires…it’s eye-opening.
– Like reading numbers in a new light after taking statistics, you’ll learn to read all literature in a new light – with an awareness of the writer/journalist behind the words, and their potential sources and biases. Valuable in almost any research field and in everyday information assimilation.
– It’s perfectly suited for the current info-sharing digital age (business models aside) and has great flexibility. And compared to most rote day jobs, journalism is oodles of everyday, always-changing fun.
Nice post. 🙂
Here via http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2009/why-does-anyone-major-in-journalism/ via twitter.
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You forgot to mention the reasons NOT TO. For example, journalism won´t ever give you a decent paycheck or journalism makes you work like a SOB for no recognition at all. At least here on shitty South America.
Oh and another reason for your list, “journalism is a cool thing to do when your parents are rich and will give you a job in the future when you regret it”
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I have passed my master of human right degree from University of Sydney in 2009. I am migrant in Australia and my life is very hard .I want to study journalism in University technology Sydney shortly and want to start new journalist writing for Human Rights. Can I start a discovery and make a new combination for human rights and journalism…let us say start to write – crimes against humanity
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what if I never get the job? What if I live an uncomfortable life due to low wages?
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journalism helps you to navigate the world and makes one social to the public .it also enhances communication,writing,listening and reading skills.
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