Home › The Big Issue ›

Do j-students have a future?

Apr 06, 2009 - Posted by Patricia Elliott
ShareThis

“So, you want to be a journalist? Ha ha ha. Jeez.” Not exactly encouraging words from the Gawker, but at least the satirical website has a sense of humour about it. As j-students prepare to graduate, there couldn’t be more interesting times awaiting. Jobs are bound to be scarce, which only means there’s more call for creativity and gumption.

“The most exciting career path of all will be the one taken by aspiring journalists who don't land a job at an established media outlet,” writes Kelly Toughill in Why Keep Studying Journalism?

How to get started? Freelance writer and broadcaster Julia Kilpatrick provides useful freelancing tips. The article Networking in Real Time leads to web networking areas where editors and freelancers find each other. A solid online profile is important for today’s graduates – and not that goofy Facebook picture of you wearing a lampshade. The other option is to simply change the way things are. After all, the whole point of journalism education is to prepare students with broad critical skills to re-invent the future of media.  

Comment Policy

J-Source invites comments on any content items or on any other topics relevant to journalism. Those posting comments are expected to adhere to standards of accuracy and fairness that would be recognized by those who practise, teach or study journalism.

  • Comments are restricted to registered users. You must register with your full first and last name in order to be eligible to comment.
  • Please communicate as effectively and intelligently as you would in a professional or academic forum, focusing on the issues at hand rather than the characters or characteristics of those involved.
  • This forum is intended for discussion of the craft of journalism, not of the issues of the day that journalists cover; please do not post story tips or press releases.
  • We moderate the forum for adherence to these standards of discourse, and reserve the right to decline any comment or restrict any user from commenting without giving reasons. Every effort is made to approve valid comments within 24 hours of submission.
 Donate Now Through CanadaHelps.org!Support
J-Source
 
 
 COPA finalistBest online-only
article or series

 

 

J-Source and ProjetJ are projects of The Canadian Journalism Foundation in collaboration with leading schools and organizations
across Canada.

Editor-in-chief, J-Source:
  Janice Neil
Ryerson University

Rédacteur en chef, ProjetJ :
Jean-Philippe Cipriani

 

Recent comments

Opinion: Media's latest stories on Toronto's Mayor Ford a challenge for a court fight

  • Sherwin Arnott

    This is very interesting. But perhaps you've overstated the case. Truth is indeed a defense...

    1 day 14 hours ago

Peter Worthington: 10 facts about the journalist who wrote his own obituary

  • pcalamai

    Peter Worthington would have known that there is a venerable tradition of journalists writing...

    6 days 8 hours ago

Opinion: Why all journalists should study public relations

  • Sherwin Arnott

    I like this. It's very important to see the closeness of public relations and journalism....

    6 days 12 hours ago
More »