"Journalism's a dying field"

[rllnyc]

Amid the excited exclamations of 'congratulations' come the dreadful words I don't want to hear: "Journalism's a dying field." "Are you sure that's the field you want to go into?" "How useful can that degree be?"

 

I know you guys must have heard this too while discussing your acceptance/school plans. I mean, I am completely aware that journalism is a tough world to be successful in, and that it's 'dying'--or at least changing a lot. I was told today by my boss "Magazines are getting thinner. Everyone's writing on blogs." Yet he also said he doesn't want to "throw cold water on [my] passion." 

 

Do you fellow journalism students feel that our field is not a flourishing one? That it's a big risk to get into? Do you care more about following your dreams & doing what you want? Are you worried about your career once you graduate from journalism school? Please share your thoughts on this issue!

[MissLyrik]

My Undergrad is in Journalism and I hear the same things. I don't regret what I studied although its been a difficult path to walk. Depending on what your undergrad is in I would say to study what you are most interested in writing about. For my grad study I would love to do English but focus it on intersections of gender and race or gender and religion.  Just my 2 cents.

[daydreamer254]

I used to be worried about going into journalism, and started having doubts about pursuing it as a career because of that quote. But now I see that journalism is evolving, not dying. Journalism school should give you all of the tools to keep up in a constantly changing field and to be a versatile journalist, who can adapt to change.

 

Writing is what I love to do, and I don't see myself doing anything else. Following your dream is more important than peoples' opinions about your dream, and dumb quotes.

[rllnyc]

I used to be worried about going into journalism, and started having doubts about pursuing it as a career because of that quote. But now I see that journalism is evolving, not dying. Journalism school should give you all of the tools to keep up in a constantly changing field and to be a versatile journalist, who can adapt to change.

 

Writing is what I love to do, and I don't see myself doing anything else. Following your dream is more important than peoples' opinions about your dream, and dumb quotes.

 

Perfect answer. Thank you. I'm a big advocate of following your dreams.  Even in the face of people questioning how I'm ever going to make enough money once I'm out of grad school and making my way into the journalism world. It's not about money, it's about doing what you love.

[katethekitcat]

Journalism covers so much more than "write for a newspaper." Yes, blogs are becoming huge, but the people who get into journalism (in my experience) do it because we love the in-depth research, interviewing people, chasing down a story. There's always, always going to be a need for that kind of information; always going to be a need for strong investigative journalism and the people who ask tough questions. Maybe the format will change, but newspapers 50 years ago were different from newspapers 50 years before that. Writing for NPR, Mother Jones, etc. is still journalism. Going into this field just means helping to re-shape it and decide on that new direction.

[Sarah Bee]

I have graduated and already working as a sub-editor and a freelance reporter. Went on many international conferences and I get to meet fellow journalists who are equally enthusiastic about the field. Being a print journalist, I am often told that nobody would be reading newspaper in the next five years so journos like me should start searching for other jobs.  However, I don't agree. Though the social media -Twitter, Facebook and the blogosphere, have taken their toll on newspapers, as every Tom, Dick and Harry has conveniently become a writer and an expert on issues. However, I still think that journalists are better equipped with the analytical abilities, insight on issues and most of all, journalistic ethics that you cannot find in others.