Chapter 2 - What Type Of Degree Do I Need?
If you are serious about becoming a journalist, then you need to go to school so that you can get a job in this field. Newspapers and online venues are looking for those who have a four year liberal arts degree in journalism. If you plan to get a job in the field, you need an education. While you can get some jobs reporting for local papers without a degree, you will never move up in the world unless you have that piece of sheepskin that says that you went to college to study journalism - no matter how talented you are as a writer.
There are a number of journalism schools across the country. You should apply to colleges that offer a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, such as a good liberal arts college. Generally, the more prestigious the college, the more prestigious the job when you get out, although things are rapidly changing as the internet is formidable competition for the print media today.
Many journalists who want to have a career in the news industry will also minor in broadcasting. This can be helpful if you end up being a television journalist. A television journalist will go to a news scene and report about it live on the air. In order to be successful at this type of journalism, you need to have experience in telling the story, as well as broadcasting.
The Types Of Journalism
Chances are that you are going to dabble in all of the types of journalism that are out there. When you first start out in your career, you are going to want to take any job that you can get. Some of the journalist careers that you might consider include:
These are the main types of journalism careers that you can get if you study for journalism in school. You will most likely start out as a newspaper reporter or working for an internet publication. Not only will employers want to see a degree, but they will also want to see clips. Clips are a portfolio of your work that indicate your byline. You can build up your portfolio in a number of ways that we will be discussing in a later chapter.
While you may be able to become a newspaper reporter on a lower level, or even an internet journalist without a degree, you will need a degree in journalism if you want to become a magazine writer or television reporter. These are the more glamorous jobs that people think about when they imagine life as a journalist.
The bottom line is that if you want to be a serious journalist and have an option to move into an exciting career, go to school. Earn a BA in Journalism and you will be all set to start your career in journalism with nothing holding you back.
A Beginner’s Guide To Becoming a Journalist (Chapter1)
Posts
Chapter 2 - What Type Of Degree Do I Need? 
