Journalism

Journalism, or the craft of gathering and reporting news, is an exciting major offered by itself or as part of a mass communication department at many colleges. The journalism major is often broken down into several focus areas, including print, broadcast, radio and online/multimedia journalism. Journalism courses teach students interviewing and news writing techniques; editing for length and clarity; page design for newspapers and magazines; public information laws; and journalism as it relates to advertising and public relations. Students will also learn to write in the “inverted pyramid” style (where the most important information always comes first in a hard news story), media history, feature writing and sports writing.

Journalism is for people who want to be in-the-know. If you are fascinated by the idea of gathering news at the source near a warzone, sitting in the press box reporting the details of professional sports games, exposing corruption and injustice, or simply providing fair and accurate reporting in a culture of sensationalism, you might want to look into a major in journalism. Journalism majors go on to become newspaper writers, columnists and editors; publishers; news anchors; foreign correspondents; radio show hosts and producers; and magazine writers. Some may enter the entertainment industry, dishing on celebrities and fashion, while others may report on national sports, giving commentary on major sports networks. Others work in small communities, reporting news of local importance, like bank robberies, layoffs at area businesses or people making a difference in their communities.