Closing J schools.

I told my J-school this about five years ago, when they sent a letter hitting me for contributions.

 

Who here would trade their journalism degree for a business degree right now? I sure as hell would.

 

I used to teach a bit at a local J-school, but a couple years ago I told them I couldn't in good conscience do anything that would encourage kids from going into a field that will be extinct in a matter of years.

 

J-schools will stay open as long as there are people willing to pony up the tuition. But I imagine j schools aren't getting a lot of help from the industry these days. I could see a day when the curriculum is rolled into a "government" or "Public policy" school.

 

I have an English degree. Without it, I couldn't be a substitute teacher. I could have majored in anything and as long as I have a BA, I could be a sub. It is valuable and it has given me options now that my journalism career has become at best a freelance pursuit. I could become a lawyer, a copywriter, a teacher. I have decided to pursue a teaching credential and hope the freelance assignments don't run out before I complete the credential program.

 

A friend of mine once told me the one thing a college degree tells potential employers is that you can set a goal and achieve it. I still believe it doesn't matter what you major in as long as you can complete your degree. That said, I never found a journalism degree to be that valuable. I had a newspaper job long before I had a bachelors degree. And the best journalists I know majored in something other than journalism or communications. The best ones majored in political science. Oddly enough, English majors were in the minority at the papers I worked at.

 

What would you possibly do with a sociology degree? Teach, maybe.

 

Get this. I have a journalism and sociology degree.
I'm fucked.

 

This would be a fun poll. Which degree---journalism or sociology---is more worthless? Seriously, I can at least think of a few journalism-related careers outside of newspapers. But sociology? Well, you can teach (and research), and you can ... umm, what else can you do?

 

It was, like, four more classes. And, it was a long time ago.

 

I would add philosophy to that poll.