Letters from alumni to students
First of all, don't get discouraged. People are probably telling you that you picked the wrong profession and that you'll never find a job, but don't let those people get to you. Work is out there; you just have to look for it. While your still in school, try to develop the skills to set yourself apart.
The newsroom is constantly evolving, so keeping up with the latest developments in technology is important. Take every opportunity you have to build up your skills and experience, and when the time comes, jump into your job search with both feet. If you really have passion for journalism, you can succeed.
Amanda Jacobs, BJ '08
City Editor, Pekin Daily
I am certainly appreciative of everything I learned in the journalism school. The classes, particularly the capstones, generate enthusiasm in students that leaves them eager to enter the workforce. However, I feel that I was far too naïve when I graduated. In a sense, the real world hit me like a ton of bricks, and I feel like I’ve become quite jaded only two years out of school.
If I had a chance to give current journalism students some honest advice, I would have to say that it’s important to not take your job too seriously. You won’t get to do everything you want to do. You have to inject creativity into the areas you’re allowed. You’ll have to multitask and do the dirty work, and it will be overwhelming and unglamorous. Sometimes, it’s wiser to stay at a job you dislike in order to gain more experience and build your resume. With so few jobs available in this economy, it’s most important to have a steady salary and employee benefits.
Ashley Trent, BJ '07
I believe the University of Missouri Journalism School did help teach me how to think through difficult situations on the job. The theories, situations and legal precedents discussed have been crucial.
But I walked out with a one-hour HTML course and a one-hour broadcasting course under my belt. I wish I’d had more training in both. Students should be required to take basic classes in publishing to the Web.
Along with those should come ethical discussions about the hyper-speed news cycle. As I write this, I’m thinking about the recent fatal shootings at Fort Hood. For hours, news outlets reported that the shooter was dead. Where did that come from? Twitter, Facebook and blogs make it much easier for journalists to feed off each other – what’s one harmless little retweet? Those can spread misinformation.
I also think all print journalists should be required to know the basics of using a still camera and a video camera. Many journalism outlets are trimming staffing, and a broader knowledge base is crucial to young journalists who want to stand out and earn a position.
Blythe Terrell, BJ '05
Steamboat Pilot & Today
The newsroom is constantly evolving, so keeping up with the latest developments in technology is important. Take every opportunity you have to build up your skills and experience, and when the time comes, jump into your job search with both feet. If you really have passion for journalism, you can succeed.
Amanda Jacobs, BJ '08
City Editor, Pekin Daily
I am certainly appreciative of everything I learned in the journalism school. The classes, particularly the capstones, generate enthusiasm in students that leaves them eager to enter the workforce. However, I feel that I was far too naïve when I graduated. In a sense, the real world hit me like a ton of bricks, and I feel like I’ve become quite jaded only two years out of school.
If I had a chance to give current journalism students some honest advice, I would have to say that it’s important to not take your job too seriously. You won’t get to do everything you want to do. You have to inject creativity into the areas you’re allowed. You’ll have to multitask and do the dirty work, and it will be overwhelming and unglamorous. Sometimes, it’s wiser to stay at a job you dislike in order to gain more experience and build your resume. With so few jobs available in this economy, it’s most important to have a steady salary and employee benefits.
Ashley Trent, BJ '07
I believe the University of Missouri Journalism School did help teach me how to think through difficult situations on the job. The theories, situations and legal precedents discussed have been crucial.
But I walked out with a one-hour HTML course and a one-hour broadcasting course under my belt. I wish I’d had more training in both. Students should be required to take basic classes in publishing to the Web.
Along with those should come ethical discussions about the hyper-speed news cycle. As I write this, I’m thinking about the recent fatal shootings at Fort Hood. For hours, news outlets reported that the shooter was dead. Where did that come from? Twitter, Facebook and blogs make it much easier for journalists to feed off each other – what’s one harmless little retweet? Those can spread misinformation.
I also think all print journalists should be required to know the basics of using a still camera and a video camera. Many journalism outlets are trimming staffing, and a broader knowledge base is crucial to young journalists who want to stand out and earn a position.
Blythe Terrell, BJ '05
Steamboat Pilot & Today
How students see the future
What alumni and students are saying about change
The History of American Journalism was a huge disappointment because I love history and journalism, and yet it still turned out to be horrifically boring. I think the problem was that the material was not organized very well or developed thematically in any way. It would not have been difficult to explain the history of journalism in the context of recent events, making the class more valuable. Instead, the course was merely a chronological recitation of facts, the instructional equivalent of a "data dump."
Christie Smythe, BJ '05
Reporter, www.law360.com
Cross-Cultural Journalism. The lessons of that class are important, but they could easily be distilled into a weeklong unit in Principles of the American Journalism or a similar class. A full semester of the subject seemed drawn-out and repetitive.
Amanda Jacobs, BJ '08
City Editor, Pekin Daily
The entire curriculum could have been summed up in a one-week period titled 'Do your research, and don't rely on stereotypes. Otherwise, you'll offend someone.' It seemed like we could have spent that time on better things than going through each "misunderstood group."
Susan Gill.
BJ '05
The Press-Enterprise, a daily newspaper in Riverside, CA
History of American Journalism was a waste of time. It focused too much on the very early years of journalism and breezed over some of the most recent developments, such as what newspapers have done over the past 10 years to attract online readers and how the Internet has affected news gathering and newspapers. The class required memorization of names and dates and didn't do a good job of tying historical themes to where the industry is today. Journalism has made a strong impact on politics and culture in this country over the past century, and that didn't come through in the class.
The one lecture-style class I did find informative and useful was Communications Law. Sandy Davidson did a great job showing how federal and state laws influence a journalist's job on a day-to-day basis.
Kate Cerve, BJ '08
We go over a lot why multimedia is important, but when it gets right down to it, the only people who have multimedia skills are people in convergence. And they don’t get enough clips, from what I hear, to actually get a job in one field or the other.
We also don’t get enough practice exercising news judgment — for example, stories at the Missourian come in pretty much as long as the writer wants, so there are often 30-inch articles about meetings where nothing happened.
Roseann Moring, senior
Christie Smythe, BJ '05
Reporter, www.law360.com
