Should I go to J-School? Google’s answer
by: Andrew Seaman
As any good journalist would, I turn to Google when I need a quick answer. So it’s no surprise that I asked the search engine the most controversial question in the history of journalism: Should I go to J-School?
From my experience, most young journalists ask a professor, editor or friend about getting a journalism master’s degree.
I asked everyone if they thought I should go to J-School — teachers, friends, editors and even the weird guy at the bus stop. Some told me yes. Some told me no. Others told me to wait.
Google left me even more confused. Some posts were very encouraging about a student’s prospects after graduate school, and others said to run as far away from J-School as possible.
Ultimately, I realized the decision was mine and mine alone. No two people have the same experience in graduate school, and I decided the only way to make the decision was to have a conversation with myself.
At the time, I was a rising senior at Wilkes University in northeastern Pennsylvania. My major was communication studies with a focus on print and broadcast journalism. I had already completed nine internships, received a few awards, managed the school newspaper and television station and freelanced for USA TODAY.
Ultimately I decided to apply to Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.
The decision to apply to J-School was based on a few facts. First, I wanted to exclusively focus on my writing, and I did not do that at Wilkes. Second, I wanted some time to work on my long form writing, and a master’s project is a great way to do that. Third, I wanted more experience in investigative journalism, and Columbia has a special investigative concentration.
Overall, I loved the experience and feel that I benefited from my time at Columbia; however, the downside is that everyone now asks me if they should get their master’s degree, too.
Unlike many people in Google’s search results, I’m not going to give a yes or no answer. Instead, let me suggest things to consider when making the decision.
Do I have something to gain by going to J-School?
I think too many people apply to J-School to simply say, “I went to journalism school.” A person should realize he is accepted into a journalism school because the school feels he has room to grow.
What’s my ultimate goal?
A person needs to determine if graduate school helps achieve the career he wants. Granted, a graduate degree won’t hurt, but that’s a lot of money for it not to be useful.
What are my resources?
It’s crucial for a person to consider if he has the financial and emotional support to put his life on hold for the year or two he is in school.
Will I be happy at the schools that accept me?
All journalism schools have different cultures, and a person may not like the culture of a particular school. As an example, why would a person apply or go to a school in New York City if he’s absolutely certain he won’t be happy?
Each person will have to come up with a list of questions specific to his situation, but the time is well worth it.
Then there’s always plan B — flipping a coin.
Andrew M. Seaman is a medical journalist for Thomson Reuters in New York. He’s a 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, where he was a Stabile Fellow in investigative journalism. He’s covered a broad range of topics from natural disasters to President Barack Obama. He’s on Twitter as @andrewmseaman and can be reached at www.andrewmseaman.com.
Tags: advice, broadcast news, career, Careers, Gen J, Gen Jers, generation j, job, journalism, journalist, journalists, news, Society of Professional Journalists, spj, young reporters
January 11th, 2012 at 3:24 pm
You need more training.
January 11th, 2012 at 4:05 pm
Having an undergrad degree in journalism and five years of progressively responsible journalism experience, and never a desire to get a M.A. in journalism (although other fields are attractive), my advice to young, aspiring journalists is, and has been — make it your minor, major in something useful (i.e. environmental engineering, if you’re passionate about the environment) because that will get you more jobs than an overview degree in this field. That’s based on my experience, colleague’s experience and general life experience.
I also learned more about journalism and reporting in my first job out of college, a weekly in a small town in which I was the only journalist, than I ever learned in my undergrad program. This is truly a field in which experience is the teacher, about covering fires, writing for deadline, interviewing hostile sources and making connections. Perhaps grad school could’ve taught me that, but I got the lessons hands-on, and someone paid me (meagerly) in the process.