Have you ever wanted to be on TV? Do you like writing stories about things that interest you? Do you want a career in which you can travel to different places and meet new people? Well, then college students who are reading this article---look no further than becoming a journalism major! This major combines the skill of writing from an English major and the media, broadcasting skills from a Communications major. It also includes everything in-between depending on what your interests are. Personally, I am a Journalism major at the University of Connecticut, so I am biased in my reasons for wanting you to major in Journalism. But it's fiiinnneee. Here are five reasons why you should be a journalism major:
1. It's a diverse field
I'm sure when most people think of journalists, they think of people that either write for a newspaper or on TV reporting. While you can do these things, you can also do other things within journalism that match your interests. If you only like writing and want to report on stories without being in front of a camera, you can write for newspapers, magazines, online sources and blogs, or editorials. You can be a broadcast journalist that works on news TV organizations, radio stations, or social media sites. Your interests can range from sports, the arts, crime, fashion, photography and so much more!
2. Requires real-world experience
One thing I've learned so far in my journalism classes at UConn, is that my major requires a lot of in-person interaction and hands-on work. If you're a person that likes to communicate with other people and learn skills with your hands, this major is for you. As a reporter, first you'd have to find a topic that interests you and then find out why it's newsworthy. Then you go out and pursue the story---trying to gather up facts and interviewees---so that you can have information to back up your story. Now that we have social media, it's even quicker to get that information for a story.
3. Fellow classmates
Meeting other students like you that are also interested in Journalism as a career for various reasons, is so cool! A journalism major is a major unlike the STEM or Business majors, it does not fit into one category. By making friends within the Journalism department, it can be a way of networking for the future. As a journalist, sources and connections are really important to your job and having them through your classmates, is really helpful.
4. The lecturers/professors
The people that teach you the writing, reporting, and communication skills within journalism are the best! First of all, you're receiving learning from professors/lecturers who have been in the field before and some who still practice within the field. They can inform you on how to build up your skills, on internships to approach and updating you on the changing dynamics of the field. They are doing (or did) a job that requires such a personal, yet objective quality and they want to share that knowledge with you.
5. You can make a difference
I know there are people out there who view Journalists/Reporters as people not to be trusted. It's understandable---the rise of false news outlets, partisan news outlets, and social media hacks that circulate "news" everywhere as fast as they can. There's a big criticism of mass media and how it's controlling the way people view news; judgement on corporations that have connections news organizations. But I'm telling you that there are still honest journalists/reporters out there that are making quality news stories for people to see. You just have to find them. As a journalist/reporter you can use your skills to not only get your voice heard, but to give a voice to others that may not have that opportunity.
So! I encourage you college students, if you have a journalism department at your college, to check it out. You'll be glad to learn the skills and lessons of the major and future profession.
