Should I pursue journalism as a future occupation?

Question

Okay, I am a sophomore in high school and I am #1 in my class. I love to read and write, but I think I have more natural ability with mathematics. I would love to write for a newspaper or something, but I am nervous that I will get out of college with debts to pay, and not be able to find a career. I want to have lots of money obviously, but it is more important to me that I have a career that I love. I love to travel, and I don't mind if I have long hours, so would I make a good journalist?

Also, I'm worried that I might be choosing the wrong occupation if I hae never read the newspaper that comes to our house very often...

What should I do?

Is there any career you know of that allows me to read books and travel alot?

Answer 1

Sweetie, there are no ' sure things' career wise , no matter what people tell you.

I'm a freelance journalist, as a former editor of mine said repeatedly, if you're going into journalism to make money, this is not the profession for you. Most journalists who work for newspapers make a good living, but not a huge one. TV anchors make millions of dollars , especially those on the networks, but most have worked their way up in the field, unlike the bikini wrestler anchor at the Fox station in Texas, she's an insult to most journalists male or female.

You're going to have several careers in your lifetime, not just one. And you will have debt when you get a college or university degree. Money doesn't make one happy, it just pays the bills.

Do what you love and it won't seem like work, George Burns, the comedian once said that.

You're still young and likely to change your mind a few more times before you graduate. Do what you love , don't just look at money aspect to guide your career. There's alot more to be successful than money.

Answer 2

Since you still have two years of high school left, you should do all the experimenting you can now. Start reading the newspaper and see if you would like to write the things you are reading. Join your high school paper, or see if you can get an internship with a local paper.
Honestly, the only way to find out if journalism is right for you is to try it.
If you're going in for the money, get out. You won't find happiness in journalism if you're chasing money, because the journalists that get paid a lot are the unhappy ones who don't do real reporting (ie. most big news anchors)
But journalism is an extremely rewarding job. Though you won't be rich, you will be experience-rich. Being a journalist makes the world your oyster. You can travel anywhere, and right a wide variety of articles. You can rwrite a travel piece about swimming with sharks, or you can write an investigative piece about a political scandal. The opportunities are endless.
I recommend you give it a try.

Answer 3

Journalism is really a thankless occupation. People are rude, mean and assume things about you and your intentions that aren't true. The pay and hours are terrible and it can take a toll on you sometimes. You not only have to have the love, passion and drive for writing, reading and journalism itself, but a thick skin, the ability to talk to people openly and the ability to stand up for your publication.

OK, now the good things: You get to do what you love on a daily basis (read and write). You meet all different kinds of people, learn about interesting topics, have new experiences everyday and know everything that's going on in your area.

Don't worry about picking the right profession right now. You're still young and your interests may change within the next couple of years. Remember you can always duel major in college to cover several different occupations or you can major in journalism, try it for a few years out of college, then go back to school for something else if you hate it. Besides, I would say the majority of college students change their majors several times before graduating.

Also, just because you get a journalism degree doesn't mean you have to be a journalist. You can get other positions in the communications field with a journalism degree.
Just as an experiment, go to careerbuilder.com and type in journalism as the keyword. You'll be amazed at the different types of jobs that pop up.

Answer 4

The best way for you to find out if you'd like journalism as a profession is to go to your local paper and throw yourself at their feet. Most newspapers will take high schoolers as interns, and some will even pay. In return, you come in afternoons and evenings, do some proofreading, maybe get roped into inputting press releases and obituaries - but most importantly, you're there in the thick of things, close to reporters of all kinds when they have time to talk.

At least read the newspaper's Web site before you ask, though. It won't kill you to read any newspaper at least once a week. You might even spot areas where you know your specific skills and interests could fit.

If they take you, you get a foot in the door, a chance to impress an editor who'll remember you wherever s/he ends up, and a warts-and-all look at the profession.

Note that I specifically said newspapers - TV stations tend to be both pickier about interns and less willing to involve interns in substantial work. It's not difficult to move between newspapers and TV, and the line between them is blurring anyway as papers move more into Internet video and audio and TV stations do more writing online.

One last thing: It doesn't matter what college degree you get. The best reporters I've worked with did not have journalism degrees - more important was their experience with student media and their portfolios.

Answer 5

No. Don't be a journalist. Be a reporter! Get a college education which teaches you more than how to read and write a press release. What's the difference? It's the rule for good reporting: "If your mother says she loves you, check it out!". Reporters are concerned with the five "W"s: Who, What, When, Where and Why. "Journalists" seem more concerned with how their hair and teeth look on the tube and how they can use the tapes of their work in a resume to move up to a bigger market.
My eldest son was a weekend news director for one of the stations in my community. I never met a more shallow and self-absorbed bunch of people in my life who were trying to make themselves appear to be "experts" on things they had not the foggiest idea about.

Answer 6

If you don't mind moving out of your state, sometimes far away, journalism is an interesting career. Of course, you need to write well under pressure and tight deadlines. Take classes in college and see what your professors have to say. They usually know talent. And if you have talent in journalism they will tell you.

Answer 7

I think you have "self-selected" yourself right out -- yes, out -- of journalism. If you don't read the newspaper to comes to your house, clearly you have no interest in current affairs, in news or in how the mass media works, so it is best if you look for some other field.

If you truly were interested in journalism, then you would read that newspaper -- maybe three or four of them -- every day. Hate to be harsh, but that's the way it is.

Answer 8

You can be an editor of novels

Answer 9

a little longer