Journalism (1 Viewer)

[AlleyCat]

I'm a first year in B Communications (Journalism) at RMIT university in Melbourne, and i have heard first hand from the editors at Fairfax's The Age and SMH that UTS, Bathurst and RMIT have the best journo courses in the country in terms of reputation.

That said, a journalism degree is first and foremost a waste of time and money, because until there is a prerequisite qualification for journalism (like the Law or Medical professions), newspapers will still be full of spin and gossip.

The whole industry is going down the sink-hole anyway. The Age gave out 4 instead of 8 cadetships last year, what kind of chance do I have in 2 years?



...In this reporters opinion we are all better off becoming porn stars.

 

[jaydot]

Can i ask what you suggest would be the ideal pathway into journalism then.

(This is all so confusing)

 

[AlleyCat]

Can i ask what you suggest would be the ideal pathway into journalism then.

(This is all so confusing)

If she really wants to get into journalism (as in en employed reporter for a newspaper, a television reporter/newsreader, online journo, radio broadcasting etc.) she needs to work her little heiny off getting published.

She would so well to do an arts/humanities degree and spend a lot of time pitching her freelance stories to every newspaper she can think of (paid or unpaid, makes no difference).

Once she has got a portfolio together and a degree of some description, as well as an immediately affable personality, she should apply for cadetships, but not just to Fairfax (4 cadetships?? fuck off!) but also regional news/broadcasting services.

After working for a year or so in regional/community news services for miniscule pay (like 20c a word!!!), she should apply for jobs at suburban/weekly metropolitan papers, and work her way in from there.

She should also learn the power of NETWORKING, (which is basically the art of laughing at old men's dirty jokes).

Alternately, she could choose another career path, become an expert in her field, and write opinion, comment and inquirer pieces.

I am a cynic. I am also a fucking realist.

 

[AsyLum]

Thats the thing, there ISNT any single guaranteed way into journalism. The qualifications will equip you for the necessary industry expectations, but that's only going to get you so far.

You really need to get published or do as much as you can to build a portfolio for publishing, there really isn't anything else you can rely on than the experience of deadlines and working in that environment and developing your writing and getting it published.

The ideal pathway would probably have a year or so work experience within a journalistic job, with a portfolio behind you of published works and knowing people in the industry wouldn't hurt.

The problem with the media is that its shifting and the traditional media, ie Newspaper, tv and radio, are all trying to find a middle ground between the old style and the new form of the 'internet' generation. It'll be about another 5-10 years before shit settles down and new and old positions work themselves out (ie, some jobs are made redundant while a new wave of technology may require a new 'branch' to take care of it).

I think thats the reason why journalism degrees aren't exactly 'safe' degrees at the moment, but then again what is?

 

[AsyLum]

Haha AlleyCat beat me to it

 

[AlleyCat]

*hai 5ives*

Having never gone to any other uni, I cannot for certain say which is best. I can however, say that RMIT has excellent facilities.

In Melbourne, there are literally thousands of regional papers and leaders, and also a free to air community TV station called channel 31, which my uni is a part of, with news and current affairs segments called RMITV. (oh ho, yes they think they're so smart, adding that V on the end...)

There are news-reading courses, online and broadcast journalism electives, a journo newspaper called the city journal (which lends credibility to students who cold-call politicians asking rude questions) and a student-run news watchdog website called the fifth estate fifth.estate.rmit.edu.au.

If she'd be prepared to move, this course is really very good (despite my previous bitch rant.)

 

[jaydot]

She would so well to do an arts/humanities degree

I think this has come terribly repetitive, but i think Kami and Asylum have noted that you don't need a specific degree to come out and do journaliasm? Right...?!?!?!?! o_o;;

There are...

• BA's in communication (social inquiry/public communication/media arts and production/writing and cultural studies) offered at UTS
• BA in media communications at UNSW
• B Media/BA in media and cultural studies @ MQ

and
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
a never ending list...

I mean bloody oath. Do all lead or possess certain qualities/fields of work needed for journalism; which hence allow you to do journo work (newspaper articles, magazine articles, features, tele stories for news/current affair, similar stuff in radio, etc)? A masters in Journo on top of, say a degree in media and cultural studies would be good, no? If not, please explain.

 

[AsyLum]

Ok, lets get this straight.

A Bachelor of Journalism WILL give you the necessary skills and techniques NEEDED to work within the industry.

IT WILL NOT guarantee you a job in the industry.

Getting yourself published, excellent communication/writing skills and perhaps some work experience or industry contact are the important things in getting you a job.

We suggest the other degrees AS THEY WILL GIVE YOU A WIDER UNDERSTANDING OF MEDIA/COMMUNICATION THEORY AND BUILD YOUR ABILITY TO WRITE IN VARIOUS STYLES.

Kudos?

 

[jaydot]

KAPRENDE
That made things clearer in a simple 5 line post
Thanks

 

[AsyLum]

Haha, sorry if it sounded harsh or whatnot, I forgot the smile at the end

 

[jaydot]

It's alright! None taken, it's the internet after all. Big deal

 

[smely]

Hey everyone,

I'm planning to apply for journalism, cultural studies and writing, as well as social inquiry in my first 3 prefferences. I have also aplied to notre dame for their BA communications.. if i dont get into any of these... then i think i will throw myself out a window...

 

[cliffo16]

what is the pay like for the average journo??

 

[Gavvvvvin]

This thread is scary

What woud be the job prospects of someone who done a BCommunication at UWS and didnt make it into journalism?

 

[kami]

This thread is scary

What woud be the job prospects of someone who done a BCommunication at UWS and didnt make it into journalism?

You could try for a DipEd/MTeach to teach in highschool if you've picked the right subjects during your degree...or after postgrad work in communications you could apply to work as a tutor at a uni (my first sem tutor at UTS had done a Masters at UWS). Otherwise I'm a bit hazy on what the prospects are if you couldn't make it at all in the communications industry.

 

[AsyLum]

This thread is scary

What woud be the job prospects of someone who done a BCommunication at UWS and didnt make it into journalism?

Depends if your major was journalism, and you still want to do it, then you really need to go get yourself everywhere, and hope someone likes it.

With regards to the teaching option, its not really useful (as I found out when trying to add a diped) unless you've done enough English with your current degree.

 

[jaihson]

I don't know if I've said this earlier, but there are a number of electives in the UTS BA Communications (Journalism) degree that you could spend in a wide range of areas at UTS or other sydney based unis. If you wished to, you could also pick up a degree concurrently at MQ to get the wider experience that way, or you could do a DipArts or DipSocSci with USYD combined with the first degree at UTS. That would probably serve the same(or similar) effect as doing a general BA and then a Masters in Journo.

Hey, I'm thinking of studying journalism at UTS next year. How does this work? U can study another degree at the same time at another uni? sorta like a double degree, but between 2 unis?

 

[katrea]

This is just a total random thought since you guys are talking about building up a decent portfolio. How useful is presenting an online blog address in your portfolio, one that's not personal but content related - say, sports or media etc - that generates a certain amount of readership or at least presents potential?

 

[kami]

Hey, I'm thinking of studying journalism at UTS next year. How does this work? U can study another degree at the same time at another uni? sorta like a double degree, but between 2 unis?

Within limits, yes. Go to the following websites for more details:
http://www.reg.mq.edu.au/Undergrad/admissions/concurrentdegrees/
http://www.reg.mq.edu.au/Undergrad/admissions/prospectivestudents/alternatepathways/languages.html
http://www.arts.usyd.edu.au/future_students/undergrad/diplomas.shtml

The above are the CSP options for studying simultaneously between two universities in NSW. If you are willing for your second degree to be under FEE-HELP then you can take pretty much anything from anywhere so long as its part time (for timetabling reasons), you also can study TAFE at the same time as uni.

This is just a total random thought since you guys are talking about building up a decent portfolio. How useful is presenting an online blog address in your portfolio, one that's not personal but content related - say, sports or media etc - that generates a certain amount of readership or at least presents potential?

Depends on how developed it is and so on. Though I think the average blog wouldn't be sufficient to get you a job, but if it was developed appropriately then it may be worth placing within a larger portfolio.

 

[katrea]

Haha yeah, I wouldn't rely on putting just an address in the portfolio. Not unless you were some sort of sensation. I just meant as one of the many examples of a portfolio, but I was mostly wondering if it was acceptable or tacky to do so.