Q: I am graduating from a small liberal arts college in May. I want to go into print journalism, but obviously, my school doesn't have those specialties. I'm an English major and communication minor with one small-daily internship under my belt, as well as four years experience as a reporter and editor at my weekly college paper.
My question has several layers. First off, I want to know whether a grad-school degree in journalism will be beneficial to me, or will I just be wasting my money and one or two years of my life? Should I look
for work for a couple of years and then head to j-school, or would it be better to go directly through and try to accumulate as much education as possible before heading out into the real world?
I do understand that, with or without grad school, I would still be starting at entry level and that I would need to gather internships while I was in grad school. I just don't know whether editors would look
more favorably upon my degrees and experience or just experience. I also don't want to be stuck in my father's boat, limited by a lack of education (just a B.A.) and unable to get ahead. Or, should I not try to
focus my education so strictly on j-school, but get into a broader grad school program, such as a media and politics based one?
Also, what's the major difference between getting internships abroad as opposed to in the States? I think I need a stronger cultural background (I've never been across the Atlantic), but I don't know how editors respect foreign programs or print journalism in other countries. Also, how would I go about trying to find out which were better?
I feel befuddled by too many naysayers on either side of the j-school issue. There aren't enough people out there like you laying out information clearly.
E.H., Pennsylvania
A: I'll try not to be just one more voice out in the wilderness.
First, I'll assume that what you want is a career as a journalist at a daily newspaper.
Then, I'll answer the j-school question and then take a whack at the working abroad question.
Most newspapers will hire you on the basis of your experience, not according to the number and flavor of degrees you have. In your case, a graduate degree in journalism might be a good idea. First of all, you have not studied journalism and are missing some fundamentals such as ethics, law of the press and media economics. You'll likely find that with just one small-paper internship and work on your college's weekly newspaper, there are lessons too, to learn in the craft of journalism. Your reference to your father makes me wonder, too, if you have something of a personal goal to get an advanced degree. I don't believe in letting career get between you and cherished personal goals. If it matters a lot to you, do it.
As for working or studying abroad, determine how much that means to you personally. I know of many journalists -- and people, generally -- who loved their time abroad and felt it was the most educational and broadening thing they ever did. Only occasionally does it help one win a newspaper job though. In fact, editors are often more comfortable with clips from a stateside daily than they are with clips from a foreign publication where they are unsure of the standards and practices. I would not go overseas with the expectation that it would make me leaps better in the job market. However, I might do it anyway, just for the experience and for the benefit it might give me while I am on the job. Overseas travel can come through an internship, a semester abroad, a post-graduation adventure or on vacations.
If you decide to go to grad school, choose a program that focuses on the practical, rather than the theoretical. And keep getting those internships.
If you decide to dive right into the job market, look far and wide and be prepared to start small and to work your way up. Who knows? You may wind up, after a couple of years, at precisely the same sort of job that the grad school route would land you in.
