"What's your major?" is a question I get asked frequently as a college student. After hearing my reply: journalism, it's not uncommon for people to look at me, concerned, and mention how the industry is dying.
There's no denying newspapers have increasingly become gardening accessories or litter for pets instead of part of your morning ritual with a cup of coffee. While there are still people out there who look forward to the Sunday paper (typically an older demographic), people believe journalism's best days are behind and the industry is slowly fading into nothing.
I couldn't disagree more.
Journalism is not dying, just simply evolving. It's becoming more innovative, more accessible, more instant. Tweets, posts, Amber Alerts, Snapchats are new forms of journalism that have not only kept the industry alive, but thriving.
Without journalism, there would be no democracy. It's the only industry mentioned in the Constitution, which are only two of the many reasons I love it. When I was looking at majors and considering jobs, I knew I wanted to do something different everyday. I loved the idea of providing a voice to the voiceless and publishing my work. Journalism involves writing, talking to people and creativity. You have opportunities to uncover amazing stories and meet knew and interesting people.
Don't major in journalism if you want that 9 to 5 office environment. News doesn't stop after the work day is over. Journalists work independently for the most part. While they report to an editor, research, interviews and writing is done on their own, which can be a good thing if you are very self disciplined and stay on task. You're in charge of your schedule, another reason I chose journalism.
Obviously, writing is a huge part of journalism. However, there are departments in journalism that don't involve it, such as photo journalism, where you tell the story with a picture. Having a need to write and share a story is a huge sign you should consider journalism as a career.
Every time someone asks me what my major is, I proudly reply journalism. It's not a dying industry, so if you're going into journalism, don't be frightened when you get those concerned looks. As we grow, so does journalism. We've become more digital and online-based, therefore journalism has become more digital and online-based. Written forms of journalism still exist (including written ads, magazines, and more) but the industry has grasped onto the digital trend and has adapted to our internet and social media-loving ways.
