Students of journalism are some of the most passionate students you'll find on this planet. Those who study the process of giving information accurately to the public take on quite a bit of work throughout college, but it seems to go unnoticed by virtually everyone. Journalism students know the struggle of defending their future careers, and there are some things that they are just sick of hearing.
1. "You're a journalism major? Good luck getting a job!"
The journalism field is not dying like a lot of people think—it's changing. This change requires journalism students to be able to do more than ever before, such as shooting their own footage for stories and posting their stories on social media. Just because the field is changing doesn't mean there are no jobs available—journalists just have to know what they're doing to get the job, especially since journalism is a competitive field. There are jobs out there for people who work hard enough for them.
2. "You know journalists don't make a lot of money, right?"
Journalists' salaries depend on a lot of different factors, such as where the journalist is based and how many years of experience they have. A journalist's salary in the United States can range from $24,021 to $71,488. A majority of journalists also have benefits provided by their employer. There is room to make decent money in journalism, but a journalist's want for cash shouldn't outweigh their passion for writing—and it usually doesn't.
3. "Is journalism even a real major?"
Yes. Journalism is a real major. I'm sure there are people out there who don't believe journalism is a challenging major—but let's see them come up with a story idea, interview sources, research a topic and type up a 1,500 word story in AP Style in three days. Journalism can't be learned in a semester. It takes time to craft the skills one needs to be a journalist, which is why colleges across the country offer four-year programs for journalism.
4. "The media is so unethical, I don't know how you can be a part of it."
No matter what career path you choose, there are going to be unethical people who you will encounter. Sure, there are some unethical journalists out there but they should not be the face for all journalists in the world. Being ethical in your reporting is something that is heavily stressed on in journalism classes, but unfortunately not everyone is going to want to be ethical.
Those who are unethical shouldn't be the represent all journalists, just like a doctor who is unethical shouldn't represent all doctors, or an unethical lawyer should represent all lawyers. There will always be good people and not-so-good people in the world, and we need to learn not to let one bad egg ruin the whole batch.
5. "If you like writing so much, you should have become a writer."
Journalism is so much more than just writing. It's about keeping the public informed about what's going in the world around them. It's also about keeping those in power in check. Take the Watergate Scandal for example—if the Washington Post hadn't published stories about the scandal, would the public have ever found out what President Nixon was doing?
It takes those who are dedicated to serving the public interest to be journalists, and you cannot make it in the field solely because you are a good writer.
6. "You need a source for a story? Interview me!"
Just because you have a friend that's a journalism major doesn't mean they are obliged to interview you whenever they need a source. Sorry, not sorry.
7. "You're so lucky, you barely have any finals!"
Yeah, because having three finals and five different stories due in one week is really lucky.
8. "You get to interview (insert famous name here)! Can you get me an autograph?"
If a journalism student is in a media club has an internship or job in media, they could get the chance to interview some really cool people. However, that does not mean they will get you that person's autograph after the interview is done. It will make them look unprofessional as f**k, and they do not want to risk their credibility over something like an autograph.
9. "It must be so easy to get an A in a journalism class."
With the field being as competitive as it is, journalism students need to know a lot more than they ever have before. That means taking video classes, social media writing classes and upper level communication theory classes just to graduate with your degree.
Writing classes can also get challenging, especially if you get points off your papers for AP Style errors. If you take a journalism class thinking you'll get an easy A, you've got another thing coming to you.
10. "Anyone can be a journalist."
It takes a certain kind of person to be a journalist. They have to be detailed, quick on their feet, social, passionate and be able to multitask like no tomorrow. People may think journalists are crazy for wanting to get into such a hectic field, but they see it as a beautiful path they want to walk down for the rest of their lives. Walk that path tall and proud, my friends.
