Should we lie to journalism students?

Out of the heartland comes some evidence that young people, aware of the difficulties, yet think they can make a future in journalism....

http://www.kansascity.com/2010/11/13/2429111/high-school-journalism-convention.html

 

So what?

Even if every single one of those 4,500 ends up majoring in journalism in college (a longshot bet, to be sure), their enthusiasm will not magically result in the creation of enough jobs for even half of them.

My favorite line:

"There’s value still in the ethics, in being objective, in good grammar and spelling."

Yes, because those things are all unique to journalism.

 

From my experience, they pretty much are.

 

If proper grammar and spelling made the difference in getting a good job, we should all be millionaires.

I went to college conventions back in the day, but what can high school kids really learn from one while they are busy texting their friends. I don't see too many schools keen on allowing web comments and Facebook posts for school newspaper stories.

 

Tell your journalism students to get their teaching licensure as a backup just in case things don't work out.

 

Yeah, I want to spend all that money on school and take all that time trying to secure a now-rare teaching position when I could make the same money doing almost anything else.

 

Before I landed my full-time gig last spring, I was substitute teaching at a local high school during the day, and at night I stringed high schools and the local NHL team for a metro daily. Easy money, and if you have a pulse you can be a sub.

Just being realistic.

 

If I was to hold my own Journalism Rookie Symposium like the NFL has, I'd tell them this (from my late 20s perspective):

THESE:
*Don't get anyone pregnant.
*No more debt than $25k in federal student loan debt
*Don't get married.
CANNOT BE EMPHASIZED ENOUGH, IN THIS ORDER

*Accept sacrifices.
*Be responsible with your money.
*Suck up the 2-to-4 years of "first job out of college" gig.
*Save money for eventual relocation expenses.
*Bust your ass to get to get out to DC or NYC (or in general, the future of journalism is concentrated in only a few major, major metro areas). But if you don't like it, you don't have to live here forever.