Is journalism a dying breed?

Dear Frosh,
Follow your dreams. Just be smart about it.

Let's be realistic - yes, sure, your parents have valid concerns. But the 'journalism is dying' narrative has played out as new mediums continue to grow. If you major in journalism in college, taking a minor in a related discipline like PR only makes you a more well-rounded candidate. Celebrate your wins in the short term, and be prepared for the skeptics in the long term. Personally, I found that mixing journalism and PR/media relations made me an even more attractive candidate for employment. If it's possible, appease your parents AND diversify - it shouldn't compromise your plans, but rather enhance your qualifications. Much luck & all the best!

Hi Rachel,

I completely understand your parents' concerns that journalism may not be a stable career. And though this may sound cliche - really do follow in your dreams and passions! They have a way of catching up to you. From a personal standpoint, I entered college interested in journalism. And from a lot of my family's concern, I ended up studying chemical engineering, solely because it looked like a stable career. After a year working as a chemical engineer, I realized it wasn't the right role for me...and after a lot of time taking online classes and trying to find what I was really interested in, I found my way back to journalism! I now get to work in a great role in tech interfacing directly with journalists and news media.

With that said, I think there are a lot of ways to try and find ways to "stabilize" a future in journalism. I work mostly in data journalism, which is very much a growing field right now. Newsrooms are often looking for journalists with developer and analyst skillsets (such as analyzing large datasets, visualizing those datasets, creating an app, etc.), especially because a lot of these developers often turn to more traditional data science or software engineering roles. Having a technical foundation with the creative capacity to figure out what makes a good story bridges the best of the right and left brain.

Additionally, don't forget that journalism is constantly an evolving and changing field. Journalists are now trying to learn how to create content on platforms like Facebook Live or Snapchat as these platforms explode. Journalism will definitely have changed to some degree between now and when you graduate college. What I'd recommend is keep up with what's going on in the industry as a whole, see what trends are occurring, and just keep reading! One thing I'd definitely recommend subscribing to/reading regularly is the Nieman Lab, which looks at the future of journalism. If you keep reading about the trends of the industry, this will help you get a finger on the pulse of how journalism is evolving, especially as you go throughout high school and college.

I have to agree with Joshua. Not to say you can't find your niche, but with the death of the newspapers, you will have to work hard to find your spot in a field with decreased openings. So having a background in PR, advertising, marketing, etc will be a plus for you. I have noticed the newspapers that do exist, they hire less people, and the quality of true journalism has diminished from the days of beat reporters trying to true investigative work. Most TV journalism seems to me lacks substance nowadays or is very partial to a particular viewpoint. It's very sad.
So yes diversify. Also, journalism is heading online. So study that. If you got any sort of interest in sales or business. Might want to learn that aspect as well.

You can still do a lot with a journalism degree. The only difference is transferring these skills to electronic media. Yes, it will be quite competitive so be sure to create a niche for yourself. Becoming an authority on a subject will strengthen your marketability upon graduation. There will always be jobs out there for a writer, just be smart and try to anticipate upcoming trends. Finally, just because you decide now that this is what you want to do, a lot can change in four years...good luck, go get 'em!