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Whether you want to be in front of camera or microphone, work in print journalism or write articles for the Web, attending journalism school is a good start. Although not all journalists have journalism degrees, a degree in journalism or communication is required for many journalism jobs. This page is an introduction on how to choose a journalism school.
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Whether you want to be in front of camera or microphone, work in print journalism or write articles for the Web, attending journalism school is a good start. Although not all journalists have journalism degrees, a degree in journalism or communication is required for many journalism jobs. This page is an introduction on how to choose a journalism school.
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Introduction
- Journalism is a competitive profession and although a journalism degree is not required for all jobs, it will be helpful to have one.
Step 1: Choose a Field
- In order to choose a school, it's important that you have an idea of which area of journalism you want to work in. Most schools teaches writing for Web publications, but there is a division between print and broadcast journalism due to the different writing techniques and equipment involved. If you want to become a photojournalist, study news photography. If you want to work behind the camera, study broadcast production. The decision does not have to be permanent - many journalists change fields. In the beginning of your career, however, it will be much easier for you to find a job related to the type of journalism you studied in school. Some schools will teach different types of journalism, but they might be focused on and more known for one area than the other.
Step 2: Types of Schools
- There are many types of journalism schools. Some are short-term and specialized. Many of the most reputable journalism schools offer general education as well as journalism classes because a well-rounded education is important.
- If you don't have a bachelor's degree, getting one in journalism is a good idea. This way to can learn about journalism while also studying general education, something important for many journalism jobs. A bachelor's degree will also be required for many journalism jobs.
- If you want to work as a news journalist, classes in political science, history and social science will be helpful.
- If you want to specialize in a specific field, such as writing about music, fashion or medicine, consider choosing a school that offers classes in that field.
Step 3: What to Look For
- There are several factors to consider when choosing between different journalism schools.
- If you want to become a reporter, it will be helpful if the school offers you arenas to display your work, such as Web sites, print publications or campus TV or radio stations.
- Do the professors have professional experience? Have they worked in the area they are teaching?
- What equipment do the school have and how new is it? You can learn to write news articles on an old typewriter, but the state of equipment will be important for jobs in Web publishing, photojournalism, broadcasting and editing.
- What reputation does the school have? While some prestigious schools come with high tuition prices, some smaller schools can have a great reputation in that state or even outside the state.
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