Career options for current and soon-to-be-graduating journalism majors?

I'd like to hear this explanation, too.

 

My guess would be that the most dangerous bean counter is the one who dabbled in journalism just long enough to think they get it...because of their "inside" knowledge, they would believe they know what cuts to make.

 

Bingo. And there's quite a few of those out there.

 

Ah. That does make sense.

 

This was my plan coming into the biz. I'm about three inches from turning the corner on sports writing and never looking back.

 

How long you been in the field, spud?

 

Not long. A year, maybe a little more.

I was dead set on doing this out of college -- spent a solid six months searching, dogged in my determination that this was - rather unquestionably - the exact thing I was destined to do for as long as I shall live. It was only once I started doing it and took a look around at everybody else that was "doing it" that I realized that this profession can't support me. Oh I can do all kinds of nifty things with words and I'll get an affirming call every now and again that props me up for a time, confirming that I have the talent to make it to the higher eschelons of the biz. But will that happen? In this climate? And how long do I have to toil away on the bottom few rungs before finally, graciously accepting an offer from on high from a company that's dying a slow, painful death itself? Am I willing to ride this crazy tsunami that's bound to crush us all to find out? More and more the answer to that final query is no.

Far be it from me to stop you if this is honestly what you want to do. But don't block yourself from exploring other avenues once you get there, if you get there. I can't say I regret anything about my decision to do this. If I walk away and never come back to this business, as I'll probably do in the next year or two, I'll always be able to say I was a sports writer. But as for me, no, I'll shut off the lights and never turn around and I won't feel so much as a twinge of regret.

 

Strongly disagree, so long as you're talking about a master's in journalism.

First and foremost, you won't be at the head of the line for a teaching job. All the pros fleeing journalism--and their decades of experience--will be. Already are, in fact.

Two, these aren't growing pains for the industry, unfortunately. This is fundamental change. Some of these jobs might come back ... or they might not. Read the Gannett thread.

If you're just getting into the field, make sure you have experience blogging, designing a web site, taking your own videos (to post on web site) and photographs, writing a short web story on the game and then an analytical story for the paper ... in short, be able to do it all. If your journalism school isn't giving you that training, heckle the dean until you get it.

 

Fortunately, I have accrued the posting-to-web and writing-for-paper sides of experience, though it was while working as a sports editor for a weekly, not with my school paper.

And fortunately, I am enough of a nerd to have been messing around with blogging for a couple of years now.

Which has included some posting of videos from time to time. So that was encouraging to hear.

 

To jump in, I was a lot like you last March. I was about to finish school and wanted to get my first job. I had been sending out resumes since Jan. 1 and hadn't heard more than a "thanks for applying," but it didn't bother me. I was a solid writer, I had won awards, I worked with radio and TV. I'd made videos for the web, even podcasted entire games that I called play-by-play action. I thought I was "hella marketable." I could cross over all mediums. Web/print/TV/radio. My resume was endorsed by the director of student media at my school, by a "bigger" national columnist and a regional radio god.

No one cared. Some people said that my marketability was costing me others said "stay the course."

I did, for a while. After June rolled around and I was still getting no replies I started to look around for other jobs. Then August came and went and I was still looking. Finally I broke down and got a job in retail to pay the bills. I recently got a regular job being a regular guy. Yea, I write on the side. I freelance a bit and write for a website or two. And you know, it's great.

While I can't speak about your resume or your experience, if I had one piece of advice right now it would be to find any job. If you love to write and cover games, freelance on the side for a while. If you have skills more and more papers will ask for your services. But until then, in this economy, take what you can get.

And good luck with your marriage. And don't let people get you down. It's the same story with certain people—the color green. It's all about money and envy. And as Dennis Eckersley once said to Mike Birbiglia, "Fuck 'em."

Chalk up another save for the Eck.

 

Thanks man. Sad story since it pretty closely mirrors mine right now. Already received a few of those "thanks for applying" replies.

But thanks for the well-wishing. Good luck to you with all you do as well.

 

What's the most reasonable school for getting at JD or MBA here in the southeast? Or does it really matter?