Career Choices For A Journalism Degree

Journalism is, in short, the process of putting together news. But for most journalists, it is much more then that. Journalism is about connecting with readers through stories or articles that not only effect the readers but the interest of the reader.

But journalism isn't just about the writers. It's also about the editors, copy editors, designers, photographers, columnists, news analysts, news anchors, etc. You get the idea. All these parts work together to create newspapers, magazines and news shows mediums to get as much information out as possible.

There are many careers to choose from when you finally earn your journalism degree. Everyone is different. Below I will break down the different choices that you could take if you have degree in journalism.

• News Anchor: This career is usually for someone who is majoring in journalism with a concentration in broadcast. Famous new anchors would include: Charlie Gibson, Katie Couric, Dan Rather, Connie Cheung, Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings.
• Writer: Writing is the core of journalism. Now, not everyone writes just news but sports, features, human interest pieces, technology, science, etc. There is always a need for writers whether its for newsprint, magazines, tv, or radio. This can be expanded into copy writers (for tv and radio).
• Editors: If you have a journalism degree and you're great a managing a multitude of jobs then maybe being an editor is something to aspire to be. Now becoming an editor isn't easy. It's hard work to get into such a position. As an editor, depending the publication or area you work in, you'll have to manage any where from two to 20 people at time. For example with print journalism, you have to manage the assignments that you give, make sure your writers meet their deadlines, get the right artwork for the story and make sure that the desgin of your story is sound. Of course there are different rules and standards for different editors and everyone will manage their people differently.
• Photograhpy: A story is nothing without the images. Many people won't even look at a newspaper or magazine unless the images on the front are interesting or visual appealing. For photojournalists, a job could mean covering a sports game, feature photo on a prominent person or capturing the essence of a news piece. With out the work of the photographer, the print, tv, and online venues for media would be nothing but colored text.
• Graphics/Page/Production Designers: These people are extremely important as well. They make your story look beautiful. They work with editors to create visually captivating layouts that draw the reader in or keep them reading. Visual graphics also work well with online journalism, which is quickly becoming the way people get their news. This career requires attention to detail, creativity and the ability to break the rules from time to time. (This is my dream job).
• Copy Editors: Not anyone can write. Certain stories require a certain structure and have to follow rules. If you're in print journalism or more specifically you'll propbably follow the AP Stylebook but if you're a magazine you may follow the Chicago Manual of Style. Each publication works differently and have their own styles that don't necessary jive with either the AP Stylebook or the Chicago Manual. It's the copy editors to double check the editors and make sure that the stories that appear in newspaper or magazines conform to the publications style. They also check for the correct spelling, write headlines and sometimes fact check. These people are the last line of defense against mistakes that could be printed.

   

These are just some of the many careers that journalism degree such as a: teacher, foriegn correspondent, news analyst, political analyst, etc.

The future of journalism, especially print, is changing. More and more people are spending their time on the Web and read the news at popular news portals. What this means is that papers are being downsized and sometimes people on staff have to be multifacted.

It is important that journalists be able not only write but photograph or use video equipment. So if you're studying journalism make sure you brush up on areas of journalism because it may come in handy some day.

*Cheers*