Why I'm Studying Journalism | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Why I'm Studying Journalism

With newspapers “dying”, why am I “wasting my time”?

120
Why I'm Studying Journalism
DeonVSEarth

When I tell older family members or friends that I’m majoring in Journalism, I get mixed responses. Some respond with “oh, that’s so neat!” or “oh, my friend’s daughter majors in that too.”

Some responses aren’t so positive. They initially react with “oh…”, “do you want to write for newspapers?”, or “what do you want to do with that?” Then they proceed to tell me that the newspaper is dying and the job market for writers must be shrinking.

What they fail to realize is that journalism is so much more than being a newspaper reporter. Journalists also do TV, radio and online news outlets. While the number of “dead tree media”, such as newspapers and magazines, is drastically shrinking, the news business is not disappearing. It’s changing.

Through my study of journalism, I’ve learned to appreciate the news. I’ve learned to appreciate reading it for pleasure and to educate myself on world events and what professional writing looks like.

Additionally, they fail to realize, or I sometimes forget to mention right away, is that my major is technically “journalism and public relations.” This includes classes that help you write in a way to communicate information for certain companies. Every company needs someone to manage their image and notify media about new products, volunteerism within the company or upcoming events or specials. Another thing public relations people could deal with is crises. When something happens with a customer, product or staff member related to your company, there could be backlash against the company. This is where PR people step in and give the information out that people need to hear to fix or help the situation.

Journalism gives you the basics to be a writer. It has been allowing me to learn base knowledge about grammar, style and form so that I can branch out and write about whatever I want. This has allowed my creativity to really flow. When you no longer have to solely focus on the technical parts of writing, you can express things easier. The classes that I’ve taken have taught me how to write for PR, breaking news, investigative news and feature news, but I can use these basic structures to know what is good and bad writing in a lot of other forms.

Looking into the future, every company needs writers. Whether that is for PR, magazines and even online blogs, every company, with the increasing relevancy of the internet and social media, needs someone to inform the public on things using the written word. A writer could be hired to maintain the company’s social media, write their weekly blog, publish newsletters for employees, write advertisements for marketing campaigns or write press releases for local news media.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for a Public Relations Specialists is 6 percent, which is as fast as the average outlook for all occupations. Writers, in general, are only a 2 percent increase, but at least it is rising.

When all is said and done, I don’t care what the official outlook is. Writing will be and is more than a profession but a hobby of mine. As I’ve read recently in a book titled “You are a Writer (so start ACTING like one),” Jeff Goins says, “I found my dream not by searching for it, but by submitting to what I had always hoped was true: I was, in fact, a writer. All I had to do was write.”

Jeff Goins

And that’s what I’m doing now. Writing. Writing for me and for others to consume. Writing to make a habit, to get better and fulfill my dreams -- and journalism is a stepping stool for me.

I am a writer.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

5 Things To Do That Are Better Than Writing A Paper

Don't waste your time trying to write that paper when there are so many more interesting things you could be doing.

2835
computer keyboard
Unsplash

Writing a paper is never fun and is rarely rewarding. The writer's block, the page requirement, be specific, but don’t summarize, make sure you fixed any grammatical errors, did you even use spellcheck? and analyze, analyze, analyze.

Papers can be a major pain. They take up so much time and effort that by the end of the process you hate yourself and you hate the professor for making life so difficult. Questions of your existence start roaming in your mind. Am I even cut out for college if I can’t write a single paper? Am I even capable of taking care of myself if I lack the energy to open my laptop and start typing?

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons Why Sisters Are The Best

Who could be a better friend than your own sister?

1775
sisters
Taylor Hooper

I can barely remember back when I was the only child. Most would say it’s because it is extremely difficult to remember things as a toddler but I would say it's because I was bored until my sister came along. My mother always says how important the "sister bond" is and with every year that passes I realize how right she is. Instead of writing a novel about all of the wonderful things there are about having a sister I decided to list a few of them instead.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

How To Adult

You're gonna make it after all.

3205
how to adult
Twitter

It is the time of our lives that we are beginning to enter the adult world and most of us, if not all of us, have no idea what we are doing. It's like starting a video game, but skipping the tutorial. We're all just running around aimlessly hoping we accidentally do something right that moves us along the right path. Now that graduation has just happened, or is right around the corner for some of us, it's time to start thinking about how we are going to take care of ourselves once we are on our own.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

7 Signs You're A Starbucks Addict

I'll be the first one to admit I'm addicted to Starbucks.

1727
drinking coffee
Tumblr

If you’re anything like me, you love a good cup of coffee. My coffee always comes from Starbucks; I refuse to drink it from anywhere else. Over the years, it’s become one of my biggest addictions. So, if you are aware that you’re a Starbucks addict as well, or maybe you need to check to see if you’re an addict, here are seven ways to tell.

Keep Reading...Show less
people  in library
Photo by redcharlie on Unsplash

College involves a whirlwind of emotions, whether it’s from the stress of an assignment (or twenty), or from fighting with your roommate. It can be overwhelming at times and it’s important to take a step a back and calmly think things over. Maybe gain some perspective. The following aren’t foolproof tips and may not apply to you, but I was able to find success with them (hope you do too!)

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments