choosing the right college for journalists

Winter 2005 CommuniCation: Journalism eduCation today • 5

America’s BestJOURNALISMEXPERIENCES

Reports about the “top colleges” cause deans to shiver. They know how arbi-trary the ratings can be even though they may appear to be scientific. They also know that it is impossible to consider all aspects of a program. For any

prospective college student, as the U.S. News & World Report said in its annual “America’s Best Colleges” report, “Thorough research, and some perspective,

are crucial. Remember, the goal is to find a college that’s right for you.”

6 10 11 13 14Go with what’s

comfortable. Experience top

prerequisite in job search.

Look beyond rankings to biggger

picture.

The job outlook: Job market may

influence choices.

Accreditation establishes

objective standard for journalism

programs.

What editors want from recent college

graduates.

Nathaniel Horner • Photo by Bradley WilsonBen Stiling • Photo by Bradley Wilson

Johnetta Cole • Photo by Bradley WilsonPhil Donahue • Photo by Bradley Wilson

6 • CommuniCation: Journalism eduCation today Winter 2005

by bradley WilsonWhen it comes to jobs in journalism — or more specifically for news ana-

lysts, reporters and correspondents — the U.S. Department of Labor makes three points:

• Employers prefer experienced individuals with a bachelor’s degree in journalism or mass communications.

• Competition will be keen for jobs at large metropolitan and national newspapers, broadcast stations and magazines. Most entry-level openings arise at small broadcast stations and publications.

• Jobs often involve irregular hours, night and weekend work as well as pressure to meet deadlines.

But when it comes to choosing a focus, college students, advisers and edi-tors as well as the U.S. News & World Report emphasized experience as the most important pre-requisite for working in the professional media.

What do college students sayFor current college students, the greatest predictor of what college they

would recommend proved to be — no surprise here — the college they attend-ed. There was no shortage of college pride among the 70 students, all former high-school journalists, who responded to questions about what they looked for in a college and what colleges they would recommend.

Still, the more general questions provided useful insight for prospective col-lege students.

When it came to experience versus getting a degree in journalism, the clear winner was experience although more than half of the students responding were planning on majoring in journalism.

“Experience ranks higher than any form of education,” said Alicia Parsons, a student at Butte College in Chico, Calif. “Real life can’t be learned from a book or through the computer. It’s all about hands-on learning and making the mistakes first hand.”

For students planning to work in public relations or marketing, common jobs for people with journalism traiining, the focus was on getting hands-on experience.

Nicole Stuever, a student at Webster University who was double majoring in public relations and psychology, said, “Experience matters. It matters to getting a complete education, and it matters to employers.”

Not all students, however, shunned the journalism degree. Allison Peryea received her journalism/political science degree from the University of Washington in 2004. She’s now in law school.

“Both a degree and professional experience are very important though, as a former section editor, I noticed that those who are thrown into reporting for a paper pick up on the grammatical and stylistic necessities of decent journalism while those who stick to the classroom never learn about handling real dead-

go with what’s

comfortablestudents, advisers, experts value experience, proper environment

students of Jea members

Northwestern University

University of Missouri

University of Texas – Austin

Columbia University

Indiana University

Syracuse University

Ohio University

University of Iowa

Kansas State Universtiy

University of Kansas

Ball State University

University of California Berkeley

University of Maryland

Boston University

Brooks Institute of Photography

Colorado State University

Michigan State University

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Nebraska – Lincoln

University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

University of South Carolina

University of Wisconsin

Waynesburg College

Western Kentucky University

JEA members submitted names of their former students who, in turn, submitted names of the college or universities

they would recommend. They are listed here in order of frequency of response.

What to consider

Campus environment

Student media

Internships

School size

Accreditation

Campus activities

Location

Professors with hands-on experience

Cost

Job placement

Quality general education

Quality of facilities

Study abroad

Current college students, many not majoring in journalism, suggested what students anticipating college should look for. Responses are listed in order of frequency of response.

students of Jea members

Northwestern University

Winter 2005 CommuniCation: Journalism eduCation today • �

lines and working with editors,” she said.Adrienne Joanne Dye, a student at Indiana University planning to major

in journalism, said, “Both a degree and experience are equally important. The degree gives you the skills, and the student publication puts those skills into action.”

To gain the valued experience, current students often look to college media.

Dianna Heitz, a student at Loyola University in Chicago, said, “It was extremely important for me to have a quality student publication. I didn’t want to work on a newspaper that didn’t appear to strive for excellence. I wanted my experiences on a college publication to almost be a ‘dress-rehearsal’ for working at a professional publication.”

Shanna Burke, a student at the University of Missouri in Columbia, echoed the sentiments Heitz expressed.

“I’ve learned more from working on publications than I could ever learn in class,” Burke said. “It’s difficult to get the hang of working in a newsroom or on a publication while you’re sitting in a classroom or lecture hall. A degree doesn’t show the depth of your ability — only clips can do that.”

The University of Missouri has not only a student newspaper but also close ties to a local newspaper and television station on which students can work, something Burke said she found important. However, “the student media wasn’t as important to me as the professional experiences.”

Andrea Scott, a 2004 graduate of San Jose State University with a bach-elor of science degree in journalism with an emphasis in photojournalism, said, “That journalism degree won’t mean a thing if you can’t go out into the fabled ‘real world’ and actually be a journalist.”

She added, “College publications, by the way, count as ‘real-world’ expe-rience. Without the Spartan Daily, I would not have had the opportunity to build my portfolio, to learn how to communicate with reporters and editors or to make the lifelong friendships and connections I made there. The Daily made me a leader in my program and exposed me to a number of oppor-tunities in journalism and the media industry that I would have otherwise missed.”

What do college media advisers sayHarry Kloman, adviser of The Pitt News at the University of Pittsburgh,

tried to put it simply when he paraphrased what an editor once told him about the value of experience over a degree in journalism.

“The editor of a major metro daily once told me that he will not hire someone with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. So far, he’s kept his word. He doesn’t even care if they have clips. He wants people who are liberally educated ..., who can write well and who are articulate.”

Kloman acknowledged that this editor was looking at hiring people for a large daily, the “best of the best” and that for most recent college graduates, the likely job prospects are at smaller papers. There, he said, the differentia-tion between a degree and experience becomes more pronounced.

“You need to work for a newspaper and get some clips, not because the clips will be so great but because when you go on that job interview, you can talk about what it’s like to be a reporter.”

The other college media advisers informally surveyed also emphasized that experience on internships, on student publications or on part-time jobs was more important than a journalism degree.

“The internship is the most important part of the journalism training,” said Richard Puffer, an assistant professor at Coker College. “A ‘real’ news-paper public relations or advertising organ will provide more substance for most résumé building. There are some student publications that might even provide a better learning experience, but the perception in the ‘world’ will weigh heavily for real-world experience.”

He said internships are more valuable than working on college media, media that might not have as much rigor, as high a degree of accountability

College Rankings Exposed

©2003 by Paul Boyer$24.95

While there is no simple answer to the question, “Where should I go to college?” College Rankings Exposed is a response to this illegitimate hijacking of the college planning and admissions process. Through insights from college presidents and deans, author and higher education consultant Paul Boyer empowers students and parents to ask the hard questions that will help them find the right college and obtain the quality education they deserve.• Explains how college rankings create false

assumptions about higher education and how the rankings create unnecessary pressure both for students and for par-ents.

• Describes what a “quality education” truly is and how to find it.

• Defines what higher education must do to prepare students for a lifetime of learn-ing.

• Explores the need for specific educational outcomes, such as development of strong interpersonal skills, the ability to integrate knowledge, and more.

• Shows how colleges and universities examine what all students learn and how the schools track their progress after grad-uation.

• Provides a list of 10 fundamental ques-tions to ask when looking for an excellent education.

College Rankings Exposed is a trademark of Peterson’s, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc.


u.s. neWs & World reportJournalism school ranKings

1. University of Missouri – Columbia

2. Columbia University (N.Y.)

3. Northwestern University (Medill) (Ill.)

4. University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

5. Indiana University at Bloomington

6. University of Florida

7. Ohio University (Scripps)

7. University of Wisconsin – Madison

9. University of California – Berkeley

9. University of Kansas (White)

11. University of Maryland – College Park

11. University of Texas – Austin

13. Syracuse University (Newhouse) (N.Y.)

14. Arizona State University (Cronkite)

15. University of Minnesota – Twin Cities

Rankings determined by responses to questionnaires returnedby leading deans and faculty members.

or as many opportunities to learn from older professionals.And Dave Adams, adviser to the Indiana Daily Student and Arbutus year-

book at Indiana University, said, “If one has the academic training in jour-nalism, it should by all means be accompanied by practical experience so one can put into practice what one might have learned formally.”

value of the college degreeA study for the Freedom Forum by Betty Medsger found that only 9

percent of recent hires in print and broadcast news had a master’s degree in journalism while 48 percent held undergraduate journalism degrees. Expressed another way, slightly more than half of the recent hires had degrees in journalism.

That’s not to say that a college degree in journalism was not seen as valuable. General liberal arts degrees or degrees such as economics provide would-be journalists with a wide degree of knowledge about a variety of subjects that enable them to cover a wide variety of subjects intelligently. A study of health-care coverage by the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania found the best reporting was by journalists who had covered the area for more than five years or who were health-care specialists but not necessarily products of J-schools.

Judson Randall, faculty adviser for Student Publications at Portland State University in Oregon, said the best interns he worked with while coordinat-ing the internship program at The Oregonian (Portland, Ore.) did not come from journalism programs.

“They came from history, political science, sociology, economics and a few English majors,” he said.

He advises students to learn about what makes the world function and to take a few journalism courses to learn the process and to practice basic styles. He noted that a reporting class and a copy-editing class, both taught by working professionals, were the most valuable courses he took while pursuing his degree in journalism.

Additionally, some educators said that a master’s degree could prove valuable. U.S. News reported that enrollment in the nation’s 171 journalism and mass communications master’s programs grew by 25 percent between 1990 and 1994. The results add up to more than 10,000 students earning an advanced degree with no guarantee of a job. Of course, the same report by Kevin Whitelaw acknowledged that graduate students at the best schools not only are taught basic journalistic skills but also are thrust into real-life professional situations.

Kloman admitted that the editor who would not hire someone with a bachelor’s degree in journalism might be more willing to hire a person with a master’s degree in journalism.

“He said that an undergrad degree can mean something or nothing, but if a student goes on to grad school, he’s clearly more serious about journal-ism,” Kloman said.

What to looK forBeyond simply looking for a college with a solid student publications

program and with an emphasis on hands-on experience, current college students were not shy about providing more general advice for students anticipating college. And the focus of current students was on the environ-ment with cost and location consistently being factors as well.

As one student said, “I just looked at the location and how far away from Mom and Dad I would actually be.”

While cost became a factor for some, particularly when the cost of out-of-state tuition was a factor, students repeatedly emphasized finding an environment in which they would be comfortable, a place where students can feel safe and have the opportunity to meet interesting people, Syracuse University student Lauren Knisely said.

Keli Senkevich, a student at the University of California–Davis, said, “I

u.s. neWs & World report 2006practitioners’ graduate school ranKings

Columbia University (N.Y.)

Northwestern University (Medill) (Ill.)

University of Kansas (White)

University of Missouri – Columbia


U.S. News sent reputational surveys to a random sample of 190 print journalists, 180 broadcast journalists, 150 public-relations executives and 150 advertising executives. The

schools are listed in alphabetical order due to low response rate.

suggested high school preparation

Obviously, any experience you can get with your high-school newspapers or television or radio station will be helpful. You might take several English courses and join the yearbook staff so as to further polish your writing skills. Beyond that, try to develop a solid understanding of current events and, believe it or not, many journalism pro-grams require you to take a course in statistics and several foreign language classes. So, in addition to writing courses, take mathematics and a foreign language all four years.

http://www.princetonreview.com/©2005 The Princeton Review, Inc.

Winter 2005 CommuniCation: Journalism eduCation today • �

Gourman Report of Undergraduate Programs, 10th Edition: A Rating of Undergraduate Programs in American and International Universities...in American and International Universities, 10th ed. by Jack Gourman (Princeton Review, 1997)

Instead of ranking schools by overall quality The Gourman Report ranks the best individual departments — everything from accounting to zoology, includng journalism. Gourman used dozens of criteria, from faculty salaries to how well the mission of the department is defined, to produce the quantitative rankings. Gourman’s rankings are controversial and may favor large state universities.

basically looked for a school where I would enjoy learning and spending four years of my life,”

Megan Fromm, a student at Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colo., said she looked for a college with a strong student publication and a good adviser. Later she transferred to a smaller school that met more of her needs.

“A student must feel comfortable at the school with other professors and students,” Fromm said. “There will be a life outside the campus newsroom so students must find a place that fits best overall, not necessarily what is the best in the area of journalism. Otherwise, they will spend their entire four years holed up in an editor’s office when life and the news happen outside those doors.”

Jessica Swakow, a student at the University of Minnesota, also empha-sized the need to look at student life outside the classroom.

“I made sure to find out what students normally do for fun on the week-ends. … Thinking about factors that will be a significant part of your life during the next four years should always be a topic to research when com-pleting one’s college search.”

Khadija Ali, a student at DePaul University, rated “one of the happiest in the nation,” according to the Princeton Review also spent time looking into what students do outside of class.

“I was also looking for a school where I would feel comfortable and know that I could participate fully without feeling weighed down,” Ali said.

While they were not willing to go on record, some current students described their “top colleges” as not-so-top-notch when it came to the com-munity in which the university was located, further emphasizing the need for a good personal fit.

Samantha Thompson, a student at Indiana University in Bloomington, said she wanted a strong publications program but also “a campus with plenty of activities and groups to be involved in.”

She said size really didn’t matter.“Big campuses become really small once you get involved,” she said. University of Virginia student Matthew Galati explained, “I also liked the

idea of a large student population. For me, small schools have the feeling of ‘high school part two,’ so to speak.”

For some students, size came into play in the size of classes, particularly introductory classes.

“It was really important to me that I’m not just a number or part of a sink or swim mentality that some large universities have,” Stuever said. “I wanted to know that the instructor was readily available to me.”

She added, “Students should just get the feel of a place and take it if it’s for them. I can’t say that one school is better than another. It’s more of an individual thing.”

A.J. Bauer, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, was a little more philosophical when giving advice about choosing colleges, but he was quick to credit The Daily Texan as the best student publication — “although I sup-pose it’s debatable.”

“It’s vital they look for and find themselves before they look for schools,” Bauer said. “A student who doesn’t know him or herself can’t very well begin to find who he or she is supposed to be. If a student doesn’t know him or herself, it doesn’t matter what school they go to — tell them to throw a dart at a map. If the student knows his or herself, they should evaluate what they need to develop into that person.”

Obviously, it isn’t easy to put a finger on the “best” journalism program or determine whether a journalism degree is a necessity.

But Dan Kafoglis, a student at the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, came up with an acceptable conclusion: “It’s up to the indi-vidual. Go with what’s comfortable.” n

gourman reporttop Journalism and mass comm programs

1. University of Missouri – Columbia

2. Northwestern University

2. Syracuse University

4. University of Minnesota

5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6. University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

7. University of Wisconsin – Madison

8. Ohio State University Columbus

9. Michigan State University

10. University of Southern California

11. New York University

12. Indiana University – Bloomington

13. University of Washington

14. University of Kansas

15. University of Texas – Austin

16. Kansas State University

17. Marquette University

18. University of Iowa

19. University of Colorado – Boulder

20. Ohio University

princeton revieW

What is journalism?Journalism is a hands-on, professionally oriented major that

involves gathering, interpreting, distilling and reporting informa-tion to audiences through a variety of media. Journalism majors learn about every conceivable kind of journalism, including maga-zine, newspaper, online journalism, photojournalism, broadcast journalism and public relations.

That’s not all, though. In addition to specialized training in writ-ing, editing and reporting, journalism requires a working knowl-edge of history, culture and current events. You’ll more than likely be required to take a broad range of courses that runs the gamut from statistics to the hard sciences to economics to history. There will also be a lot of lofty talk about professional ethics and civic responsibility as well — and you can bet you’ll be tested on it. To top it all off, you’ll probably work on the university newspaper or radio station, or perhaps complete an internship with a magazine or a mass media conglomerate.

We know it goes without saying, but you’ll also have to write an awful lot of articles if you decide to make journalism your major. This is true even if you ultimately want to work in radio or televi-sion. If you don’t enjoy writing, you probably won’t like journalism very much. Finally, take note: At universities with elite journalism programs, time-consuming weed-out courses abound, and you must be formally accepted into the journalism program, which can be difficult and competitive.


most school pride

1. Texas A&M University, College Station

2. Duke University

3. University of Georgia

4. University of Notre Dame

5. Louisiana State University

6. Ohio State University

7. Ohio State University (Main Campus)


9. Auburn University Main Campus

10. University of FloridaSOURCE: campusdirt.com

nicest campuses

1. Elon University

2. University of Richmond

3. Stanford University

4. Colby College

5. Colgate University

6. Southwestern University

7. Rhodes College

8. Southern Methodist University

9. University of Mary Washington

10. University of San DiegoSOURCE: campusdirt.com

night life

1. Tulane University

2. Emerson College

3. University of Miami

4. University of Iowa


6. Roosevelt University

7. University of Nevada – Las Vegas

8. University of Georgia

9. Southern Methodist University

10. University of Texas – AustinSOURCE: campusdirt.com

the best fitlook beyond rankings to bigger pictureCollege rankings abound. Everyone takes a different viewpoint. But if there’s one common

thread, it’s the one articulated in College Rankings Exposed: The Art of Getting a Quality Education in the 21st Century.

“Every student is an individual with individual needs with regard to curricula, communica-tion skills, active learning and diversity. When evaluating colleges, students need to find those that are not the ‘best,’ but the ‘best fit.’ “

However, author Paul Boyer also said, “College rankings are irresistible and inescapable.”And with the proliferation of rankings on the Web, they are almost impossible to ignore. As Boyer said, “Students have nowhere to turn except to publications offering eye-catching

gimmicks and easy sound bites like ‘The Best Party Schools’ and ‘Most Wired Colleges.’ U.S. News & World Report, with its ‘America’s Best Colleges’ issue, reigns as master of the rankings game. No school is immune to its influences. Reputations — not to mention application rates — can literally rise and fall according to its numbers.”

Knowing that every one of the rankings services has flaws, Kent State Scholastic Media Program coordinator Candace Perkins Bowen suggested that maybe it’s better to look at a bigger picture and “a place that works for them — and it may be small or large, big name or not.” It will help to ask key questions, such as the following:

1. is the school accredited?Generally accreditation means the school is willing to undergo intense self-assessment and visits from the accrediting team, which includes newsroom pros as well as educators.

2. at What point can students get involved in student media?Some schools will not allow students to join media operations until they are juniors. Super-enthused high-school editors sometimes do not want to wait that long. While they should beware of getting in over their heads too soon, they may want to get started.

3. does the school have high-standard student media as Well as a variety of media opportunities?Newspaper, diverse magazines, maybe a yearbook (not all have that these days), television, radio, even student public relations or advertising agencies and Web sites are modern options.

4. does the school require an internship?Internships are more and more vital in today’s competitive markets. Rather than outdated internships where students make coffee and file clips, they should be ones where they can write articles, design pages, assist in producing news shows, etc.

5. does the faculty still have connections With the “real World”?Some schools have a communication studies/theory approach. A professionally oriented school will have instructors who have been managing editors, ad agency owners, television news direc-tors and the like — and the instructors have kept their connections to help students find jobs.

6. is the faculty available With frequent office hours, open doors, etc.?Do they like to teach? Occasionally instructors and professors may lack classroom passion — or at least they seem as though they have forgotten that art. Talk to faculty members to determine whether they enjoy the teaching component of their job.

7. hoW does the school measure to the traditional questions:• What is the student-faculty ratio?• How up-to-date are the computer facilities?• How much access to current technology will students have?• What is the placement rate of graduates?• What types of jobs did recent graduates get?


america’s best colleges 20061. Harvard University (MA)

1. Princeton University (NJ)

3. Yale University (CT)

4. University of Pennsylvania

5. Duke University (NC)

5. Stanford University (CA)

7. California Institute of Technology

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

9. Columbia University (NY)

9. Dartmouth College (NH)

11. Washington University in St. Louis

12. Northwestern University (IL)

13. Cornell University (NY)

13. Johns Hopkins University (MD)

15. Brown University (RI)

15. University of Chicago

17. Rice University (TX)

18. University of Notre Dame (IN)

18. Vanderbilt University (TN)

20. Emory University (GA)

20. University of California – Berkeley *

22. Carnegie Mellon University (PA)

23. Georgetown University (DC)

23. University of Virginia *

25. University of California – Los Angeles *

25. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor *

27. Tufts University (MA)

27. University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill *

27. Wake Forest University (NC)


31. College of William and Mary (VA)*

32. Lehigh University (PA)

32. University of California – San Diego *

34. Brandeis University (MA)

34. University of Rochester (NY)

34. University of Wisconsin – Madison *

37. Case Western Reserve Univ. (OH)

37. Georgia Institute of Technology *


40. Boston College

40. University of California – Irvine *

42. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign*

43. Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. (NY)

43. Tulane University (LA)

45. University of California – Santa Barbara

45. University of Washington *

45. Yeshiva University (NY)

48. Pennsylvania State Univ. – Univ. Park *

48. University of California – Davis *

50. Syracuse University (NY)

50. University of Florida *

52. University of Texas – Austin *

* Public university©2005 U.S. News & World Report (Aug. 20, 2005)

Job outlookmedia shifts may influence choices

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly analyzes the prospects of various professions including growth projections, earnings, qualifications and educational requirements, including news analysts, reporters and correspondents.

The Bureau’s analysts said the profession, a profession sensitive to economic ups and downs, is expected to grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through the year 2012, the result of mergers, consolidations, and closures of newspapers; decreased circulation; increased expenses; and a decline in advertising profits. In addition to consolidation of local newspaper and television and radio-station ownership, increasing competition for viewers from cable net-works also should limit employment growth.

The Bureau also noted, however, that some job growth is expected in new media areas, such as online newspapers and magazines.

Most opportunities will be with smalltown and suburban newspapers and radio and televi-sion stations. Competition will continue to be keen for more sought-after jobs on large met-ropolitan and national newspapers, broadcast stations and networks, and magazines. Talented writers who can handle highly specialized scientific or technical subjects have an advantage. Also, newspapers increasingly are hiring stringers and freelancers.

The Bureau said that journalism graduates sometimes find themselves forced to transfer to other occupations rather than work in the high-stress news media, which some workers find too stressful or hectic. Instead, they often take jobs in closely related fields, such as advertising and public relations.

trainingMost employers prefer individuals with a bachelor’s degree in journalism or mass com-

munications, but some hire graduates with other majors. They look for experience on school newspapers or broadcasting stations and internships with news organizations. Large-city news-papers and stations also may prefer candidates with a degree in a subject-matter specialty such as economics, political science, or business. Some large newspapers and broadcasters may hire only experienced reporters.

High school courses in English, journalism, and social studies provide a good foundation for college programs. Useful college liberal arts courses include English with an emphasis on writing, sociology, political science, economics, history, and psychology. Courses in computer science, business or speech are useful as well. Fluency in a foreign language is necessary in some jobs.

Employers report that practical experience is the most important part of education and train-ing. Upon graduation many students have already gained much practical experience through part-time or summer jobs or through internships with news organizations. Most newspapers, magazines amd broadcast news organizations offer reporting and editing internships. Work on high-school and college newspapers, at broadcast stations or on community papers also pro-vides practical training. Experience as a stringer or freelancer-a part-time reporter who is paid only for stories or images that are printed or aired is also valuable.

earningsSalaries for news analysts, reporters, and correspondents vary widely. Median annual earnings

of news analysts, reporters, and correspondents were $30,510 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $22,350 and $47,170. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $17,620, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $69,450. Median annual earnings of news analysts, reporters, and correspondents were $33,320 in radio and television broadcasting and $29,090 in newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers in 2002.

For more information, consult U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics • http://www.bls.gov/


photojmarket saturation drives down salaries

by bradley Wilson

“I would make a strong argument against just listing ‘top’ programs because education is very much what you make of it., said Sean Elliot, chief photographer at The Day in New London, Conn. “I know one top photojournalist who was an aerospace engineering major at a technical college in New Jersey. I know another one who never went to college.”

With demand for photographers increasing about as fast as average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than half of all photographers are self-employed; the most successful adapt to changing technologies and are adept at operating a business.

For those self-employed, a business degree will prove valuable, maybe more valuable than a degree in photojournalism, according to some photojournalists.

Elliot said, “The internship/experience is vastly more important than a PJ degree. … [W]hile a degree of some sort is important, the images in theportfolio are what get you the job. I encourage prospective photojournalists to study as much in the liberal arts, psychology, english, history, sociology, anthropology, etc. Those are the areas of knowl-edge that will serve you much better than a PJ degree. The skills to be a PJ can be learned pretty easily.”

However, Nick Lundskow, a page designer and copy editor with The Capital in Annapolis, Md., said photographers also need to get journalism training.

“If you want to advance to photo editor at some point in your career, you really should have more diverse training than f/stops and shutter speeds.”

Lundskow said this is where some courses in journalism could come in useful.“I’ve run across a number of photographers who were fine shooters yet could barely

spell someone’s name correctly. Perhaps if more photographers endeavored to be journal-ists, the powers that be at newspapers might loook at us as being a more integral part of the operation.”

Bob Carey, assistant professor at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, N.C., said he encourages his students to be multi-skilled in a tight job market.

“I tell my students to get as many internships as possible,” Carey said. “One internship isn’t going to cut it in this business.”

Employers usually seek applicants with a “good eye,” imagination, and creativity, as well as a good technical understanding of photography. Entry-level positions in photo-journalism, industrial or scientific photography often require a college degree in journal-ism or photography. Freelance and portrait photographers need technical proficiency, whether gained through a degree program, vocational training or extensive experience.

Many universities, community and junior colleges, vocational-technical institutes, and private trade and technical schools offer photography courses. Basic courses in photogra-phy cover equipment, processes, and techniques. Bachelor’s degree programs, especially those including business courses, provide a well-rounded education. Art schools offer useful training in design and composition.

Photographers may start out as assistants to experienced photographers. Freelance photographers also should develop an individual style of photography to differentiate themselves from the competition. Some photographers enter the field by submitting unsolicited photographs to magazines and to art directors at advertising agencies. For freelance photographers, having an up-to-date, high-quality portfolio full of a variety of images is a necessity when applying for jobs.

Median annual earnings of salaried photographers were $24,040 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $17,740 and $34,910. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $14,640, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $49,920. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of salaried photographers were $31,460 for newspapers and periodicals and $21,860 for other professional or scientific services.

“What I tell the kids I talk to is that it’s a tough road,” Elliot said. “If you don’t really, really, really love it, then it’s not going to be worth it.”

Winning photoJournalism colleges and universities

Western Kentucky University

Ohio University

University of Missouri

Ball State University

University of Florida

Rochester Institute of Technology

San Francisco State University

Kansas State University

San Jose State University

Indiana University


New York University

Southern Illinois University

University of Texas – Austin

Syracuse University

Texas Tech University

University of Montana

Arizona State University

Kilgore College

Texas A&M University – Commerce

University of Michigan – Ann ArborThe number of winning entries in the College Photographer of

the Year (1999, 2000, 2002, 2003) competitions, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association collegeiate photography Gold Circle awards (2004, 2005) and the Associated Collegiate Press Photo Excellence Awards

(1999-2004) were tabulated. The colleges and universities are presented with the schools winning the most awards at the top. Information on

these awards is available at www.copy.org, www.columbia.edu/cu/cspa/ and www.studentpress.org.

suggestions from pros

1. University of Missouri

2. Western Kentucky University

3. Ohio University

4. San Jose State University

5. Syracuse University

6. University of FloridaSOURCE: informal survey of National Press Photographers

Association members


accredited Journalism and mass communication programs 2005-2006abilene christian university, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (Abilene, Texas)

american university, School of Communication (Washington, D.C.)

arizona state university, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Tempe, Ariz.)

arkansas state university, College of Communications (State University, Ark.)

auburn university, Department of Communication and Journalism (Ala.)

ball state university, Department of Journalism (Muncie, Ind.)

baylor university, Department of Journalism (Waco, Texas)

bowling green state university, Department of Journalism (Bowling Green, Ohio)

brigham young university, Department of Communications (Provo, Utah)

california state university, Northridge, Department of Journalism (Northridge, Calif.)

california state university-chico, Department of Journalism (Chico, Calif.)

california state university-fullerton, Department of Communications (Fullerton, Calif.)

central michigan university, Department of Journalism (Mount Pleasant, Mich.)

colorado state university, Department of Journalism and Technical Communication (Fort Collins, Colo.)

columbia university, Graduate School of Journalism (New York, N.Y.)

drake university, School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Des Moines, Iowa)

east tennessee state university, Department of Communication (Johnson City, Tenn.)

eastern illinois university, Department of Journalism (Charleston, Ill.)

florida a&m university, Division of Journalism (Tallahassee, Fla.)

florida international university, School of Journalism and Mass Communication (North Miami, Fla.)

grambling state university, Department of Mass Communication (Grambling, La.)

hampton university, Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications (Hampton, Vir.)

hofstra university, Department of Journalism, Media Studies, and Public Relations (Hempstead, N.Y.)

howard university, John H. Johnson School of Communication (Washington, D.C.)

indiana university, School of Journalism (Bloomington, Ind.)

iona college, Department of Mass Communication (New Rochelle, N.Y.)

iowa state university of science and technology, Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication (Ames, Iowa)

Jackson state university, Department of Mass Communications (Jackson, Miss.)

Kansas state university, A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications (Manhattan, Kan.)

Kent state university, School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Kent, Ohio)

louisiana state university, Manship School of Mass Communication (Baton Rouge, La.)

marquette university, College of Communication (Milwaukee, Wisc.)

marshall university, W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications (Huntington, W.V.)

michigan state university, School of Journalism (East Lansing, Mich.)

middle tennessee state university, College of Mass Communication (Murfreesboro, Tenn.)

murray state university, Department of Journalism and Mass Communications (Murray, Ky.)

new mexico state university, Department of Journalism and Mass Communications (Las Cruces, N.M.)

nicholls state university, Department of Mass Communication (Thibodaux, La.)

norfolk state university, Department of Mass Communications and Journalism (Norfolk, Vir.)

north carolina a&t state university, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (Greensboro, N.C.)

northwestern state university, Department of Journalism (Natchitoches, La.)

northwestern university, Medill School of Journalism (Evanston, Ill.)

ohio university, E.W. Scripps School of Journalism (Athens, Ohio)

oklahoma state university, School of Journalism and Broadcasting (Stillwater, Okla.)

pennsylvania state university, College of Communications (University Park, Pa.)

pontificia universidad católica de chile, School of Journalism, (Santiago, Chile)

san francisco state university, Department of Journalism (San Francisco, Calif.)

san Jose state university, School of Journalism and Mass Communications (San Jose, Calif.)

south dakota state university, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication (Brookings, S.D.)

southeast missouri state university, Department of Communication (Cape Girardeau, Mo.)

southern illinois university-carbondale, School of Journalism (Carbondale, Ill.)

southern illinois university-edwardsville, Department of Mass Communications (Edwardsville, Ill.)

southern university, Department of Mass Communications (Baton Rouge, La.)

accreditation: an objective

standardThe Accrediting Council on Education in

Journalism and Mass Communications accredits 107 programs in journalism and mass com-munications at colleges and universities in the United States and one at a university outside the country.

ACEJMC does not rate units or put them in any rank order. The listing of a unit as accred-ited indicates that the unit has been judged by ACEJMC to meet its standards.

That judgment is rendered after a self-study prepared by the faculty and administration of the unit and an independent evaluation of the unit by educators and practitioners. Accreditation evaluations normally are made by ACEJMC at six-year intervals.

They include evaluations of the following criteria:

1. mission, governance and administration2. curriculum and instruction3. diversity and inclusiveness4. full-time and part-time faculty 5. scholarship: research, creative and profes-

sional activity 6. student services7. resources, facilities and equipment 8. professional and public service9. assessment of learning outcomesContact information for each of the accred-

ited schools as well as the various departmental offerings are available on the ACEJMC Web site at http://www.ku.edu/~acejmc/STUDENT/PROGLIST.SHTML

© 1996-2005, ACEJMC

list of accredited schools continues on page 14


st. cloud state university, Department of Mass Communications (St. Cloud, Minn.)

syracuse university, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications (Syracuse, N.Y.)

temple university, Department of Journalism, Philadelphia, Pa.)

texas christian university, Schieffer School of Journalism (Ft. Worth, Texas)

texas state university, School of Journalism and Mass Communication (San Marcos, Texas)

texas tech university, College of Mass Communications (Lubbock, Texas)

university of alabama, College of Communication and Information Sciences (Ala)

university of alaska – anchorage, Department of Journalism and Public Communications (Alaska)

university of alaska – fairbanks, Department of Journalism (Fairbanks, Alaska)

university of arizona, Department of Journalism (Tucson, Ariz.)

university of arkansas, Walter J. Lemke Department of Journalism, (Fayetteville, Ark.)

university of california, Graduate School of Journalism (Berkeley, Calif.)

university of colorado, School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Boulder, Colo.)

university of connecticut, Department of Journalism (Storrs, Conn.)

university of florida, College of Journalism and Communications (Gainesville, Fla.)

university of georgia, Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication (Athens, Ga.)

university of illinois at urbana-champaign, College of Communications (Urbana, Ill.)

university of iowa, School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Iowa City, Iowa)

university of Kansas, William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications (Lawrence, Kan.)

university of Kentucky, School of Journalism and Telecommunications (Lexington, Ky.)

university of louisiana – lafayette, Department of Communication (Lafayette, La.)

university of louisiana – monroe, Mass Communications Program (Monroe, La.)

university of maryland, Philip Merrill College of Journalism (College Park, Md.)

university of memphis, Department of Journalism (Memphis, Tenn.)

university of miami, School of Communication (Coral Gables, Fla.)

university of minnesota, School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Minneapolis, Minn.)

university of mississippi, Department of Journalism (University, Miss.)

university of missouri, School of Journalism (Columbia, Mo.)

What about acquiring a broad education?

The newspaper journalist must pos-sess an inexhaustible fountain of curiosity and an ability to express ideas. Studying the liberal arts will introduce you to new horizons. Studying journalism will help you communicate your discoveries. ASNE urges every student considering journal-ism to get a broad background by taking courses in many fields. It is a worthwhile educational pursuit to earn three-fourths of your credits toward graduation outside journalism.

Some students want to take more jour-nalism courses, at the expense of the liberal arts and sciences, economics, history, etc. But editors are interested in people who are broadly educated.

should i maJor in Journalism?Not necessarily. A 1990 ASNE survey,

the latest statistical information available, indicated that half of the editors had no preference for a journalism degree versus a major in another field. About four in 10 editors expressed preference for hiring J-school grads, and one in 10 preferred grad-uates from other fields. However, almost three-fourths of the editors of smaller papers, where many graduates begin their careers, prefer J-school grads. Another ASNE survey indicated that 80 percent or more of the young people taking newspa-per jobs were journalism school majors.

Some students concentrate on a field they want to write about — business, sci-ence, the arts, politics, for example — and take journalism courses as electives or work on the student newspaper.

should i choose an accredited J-school?

ASNE surveys indicate that fewer than half (43 percent) of the editors make it a point to know whether the job candidate is a graduate of an accredited journalism program.

are sKills courses important?Taking journalism skills courses is a

good idea. A 1993 ASNE survey asked edi-tors what fields of study students should take to prepare themselves for newspaper work. Editors thought courses that devel-oped writing skills and fostered an under-standing of economics, statistics and the basics of reporting were most important. In the mid-range of importance were an understanding of graphics/design, multi-culturalism, newsroom technology, man-agement, liberal arts and basic sciences.

What editors wantfrom the american society of neWspaper editors, ©2005

list of accredited schools continued from page 13

list of accredited schools continued on page 14


university of montana, School of Journalism (Missoula, Mont.)

university of nebraska, College of Journalism and Mass Communications (Lincoln, Nebr.)

university of nevada, Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism (Reno, Nev.)

university of north carolina, School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Chapel Hill, N.C.)

university of north texas, Department of Journalism and Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism (Denton, Texas)

university of oklahoma, Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication,(Norman, Okla.)

university of oregon, School of Journalism and Communication (Eugene, Ore.)

university of south carolina, School of Journalism and Mass Communications (Columbia, S.C.)

university of south dakota, Department of Contemporary Media and Journalism, (Vermillion, S.D.)

university of south florida, School of Mass Communications (Tampa, Fla.)

university of south florida – st. petersburg, Department of Journalism and Media Studies (St. Petersburg, Fla.)

university of southern california, School of Journalism, Annenberg School for Communication (Los Angeles, Calif.)

university of southern indiana, Department of Communications (Evansville, Ind.)

university of southern mississippi, School of Mass Communication and Journalism (Hattiesburg, Miss.)

university of tennessee-chattanooga, Department of Communication (Chattanooga, Tenn.)

university of tennessee – martin, Department of Communications (Martin, Tenn.)

university of tennessee, College of Communication and Information (Knoxville, Tenn.)

university of texas, School of Journalism (Austin, Texas)

university of utah, Department of Communication (Salt Lake City, Utah)

university of Washington, Department of Communication (Seattle, Wash.)

university of Wisconsin – eau claire, Department of Communication and Journalism (Eau Claire, Wisc.)

university of Wisconsin – oshkosh, Department of Journalism (Oshkosh, Wisc.)

university of Wisconsin – river falls, Department of Journalism (River Falls, Wisc.)

Washington and lee university, Department of Journalism and Mass Communications (Lexington, Vir.)

West virginia university, Perley Isaac Reed School of Journalism (Morgantown, W.V.)

Western Kentucky university, School of Journalism and Broadcasting (Bowling Green, Ky.)

Winthrop university, Department of Mass Communication (Rock Hill, S.C.)

Lower priorities included classes about photography, media law, journalism ethics and the role of mass media in society. In this decade, newspapers have greater needs for employees with advanced computer training, especially for work on Web sites.

hoW important are internships?Vital, no doubt about it. Virtually all edi-

tors agree that getting a summer internship on a newspaper while you are in college helps you land that first newspaper job. If an internship is not possible, the student should make every effort to get published. Editors are always interested in clips.

should i WorK on the student paper?

Yes, that carries a lot of weight in getting entry-level newspaper jobs.

is a graduate degree Worth the time and effort?

A graduate degree may be interesting and personally useful, but most editors say that they do not pay higher salaries to people with a master’s degree.

What about WorK in photography and graphics?

Students whose interests lie in photog-raphy or in the graphic arts should build their portfolios while in college. The advice provided to other students also applies here: get a broad education, take intern-ships (if possible) and work on the cam-pus newspaper. Knowledge of computer graphics is essential to young people seek-ing jobs in graphics in today’s newspaper environment.

are there resources, especially for minority students?

The newspaper industry actively seeks minority applicants. www.highschooljour-nalism.org can provide you with informa-tion about scholarships, for example.

There are also professional associations for the four major racial and ethnic minor-ity groups (Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Native American Journalists Association).

As graduation approaches, students will

want to participate in job fairs sponsored by the minority journalism groups, ASNE and others.

hoW reWarding is Journalism? “If you had to do it over again, would

you choose newspapering as a career?” ASNE asked a representative sample of newspaper journalists that question. A high 84 percent said they would. Also, 78 percent said their present job met or exceeded their expectations when they took the position.

The most satisfying aspects of their work were (1) “creativity and meeting the daily challenge of my job” (58 percent) and (2) “dealing with significant matters and having an impact” (32 percent). The respondents to this 1989 survey said the opportunity to write was what first attract-ed them to journalism (43 percent) or “the excitement and challenge of journalism” (38 percent). n

list of accredited schools continued on page 16

list of accredited schools continued from page 14

choosing the right college for journalists

Documents