I am a college prof --I would not advise my DC to major in communications. All communications majors I met are extremely light-weight. English (or History) is a great major because you actually learn how to write well, and in different genres. Also have a lot of journalist friends none of whom majored in journalism or communications. Agree on what others say about internships/networking.

OP here. Thanks for all the information. I am in healthcare myself so can't offer my dc any personal insight. I appreciate the responses.

Another current journalist here. I disagree with a lot of you. I like to hire journalism majors who have had substantial internships. The degree is not useless as many of you (non-journalists) claim, but teaches students how to research, how to write cogently, etc. A minor in a particular field of interest is very helpful, whether it's environmental science (I think reporting on climate change and its impact will be big over the next decades) or public policy.

That said, I focused primarily in English undergrad, worked for a few years in nonprofit communications and got an MS in journalism from a good school. I am in print, but some fellow students went on to careers in broadcast journalism, starting in very small markets with very low pay. I think it's a mix of talent, luck and looks that propel some to the big markets.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Journalists have all kinds of degrees. Look at various people's educational backgrounds on magazines and newspapers...it's all over the place. Lots of English and Comparative lit, various social sciences, the occasional hard science or econ major, etc. I think if that's what she really wants to do, getting internship experience and writing for her college's paper (especially if it is a highly regarded college paper) to make connections is going to be more important than what her degree is in.

Former journalist here (20 years):

Major in something else. You need something to write about. Journalism is a trade, not a profession.

+1. And I'm a current journalist (23 years). Communications is bullshit and if she ends up doing something else -- very likely -- it's a waste.

I've been in journalism for 20 years, at the highest level. There is no right answer here, but a few thoughts:
-- Journalism is not a dying profession. Daily newspapers that arrive on your doorstep may be yesterday's business model, but there are plenty of news websites to take their place. And there's more broadcast journalism than ever, if you count all the video on the web and the multitude of cable products.
-- The old-school folks, especially in print, are biased against journalism degrees, especially for undergrads. They prefer liberal arts grads from elite schools (or their own alma maters) who have good internships/campus nespaper experience.
-- Generalists are out. News websites (i.e. politico, vox, grantland) tend to be more targeted than newspapers, so picking a major that both plays to your strengths and interests you (health, economic, sports) will help you target employers.
-- Many news organizations, including the hot ones, are also business start ups, so understanding how a new business works would only add to your appeal.

Good luck OP. If I had a kid who wanted to be a journalist I would recommend a rigorous college academic load, with a lot of focus on writing and research, combined with internships and campus newspaper experience.

Anonymous wrote:Does your child understand that these are highly competitive fields?

Broadcast journalism requires model good looks, is that his or her case?

Actual journalism is a dying field.

I would recommend neither to a young person.

Candy Crowley

Chris Berman

Dudes on ESPN (guy anchors, not former athlete-analysts).

I would say though these are highly dependent on the school and alum network.

Anonymous wrote:OP, you should be careful about making decisions based on anonymous, biased opinions. The fact that many of the opinions are snarky should tell you volumes about the person who offers the opinion.

Do your research, talk to schools, talk to HR in media outlets. Nobody here should be the final decision.

On the other hand, the value of this sort of anonymous communication is that no one is going to water down any of their opinions to save face with you. Every thing said so far in this thread about the potential value of a journalism degree is pretty accurate.

Anonymous wrote:OP, you should be careful about making decisions based on anonymous, biased opinions. The fact that many of the opinions are snarky should tell you volumes about the person who offers the opinion.

Do your research, talk to schools, talk to HR in media outlets. Nobody here should be the final decision.

Thank you. I do understand what you are saying.

OP, you should be careful about making decisions based on anonymous, biased opinions. The fact that many of the opinions are snarky should tell you volumes about the person who offers the opinion.

Do your research, talk to schools, talk to HR in media outlets. Nobody here should be the final decision.

English. Communications is a major for jocks on scholarship, and journalism is basically English with all the good stuff stripped out.