Journalism

Overview

Landing your first paid job in the field of journalism takes planning, internships, and clips. Notre Dame offers a five-course minor (or concentration) for students interested in careers in print and broadcast journalism through the Gallivan Program in Journalism, Democracy and Ethics. These courses are a great segue into internships, learning the business and skills of journalism, and building relationships with professors who are experts in the field.

Career tracks in journalism include: reporter; photographer; editorial or desk assistant; copy editor or proofreader; graphic artist; and editor. The field of journalism extends beyond the printed newspaper to television broadcasting, magazine reporting, radio broadcast, and as perhaps the most dynamic aspect, digital information media.

In the past 20 years, media has mushroomed into one of the largest sectors of the American economy. New magazine titles, radio formats, cable channels and web sites have proliferated, blurring the lines between news and entertainment. With the Information Age now in full swing, the term “news” no longer fully represents the thousands of media outlets that now provide consumers with information as a resource to enrich their lives beyond delivering the headlines of the day. [Excerpt from the Vault Career Guide to Journalism & Information Media]

The downloadable Vault Career Guide to Journalism & Information Media provides detailed, up-to-date information on each of these different career aspects in journalism.

Helpful Tips

Positions in newspaper publishing are largely focused on editorial, production and marketing/ad sales functions. Increasingly, with the intermingling of print and online centers, entrants to the world of journalism are expected to have familiarity with online sourcing and experience in editing, reporting, writing for publication, or media broadcasting. The degree is not as important as the experience and your ability to integrate and synthesize information, understand the mix between digital and print media, and ask questions to uncover leads and relevant and new facts.

In a recent study analyzing the digital media strategies of the top 25 media companies by Fordham Business School, top executives across broadcast, print and online indicated they increasingly sought media professionals who were more entrepreneurial and possessed a broader understanding of a variety of disciplines, rather than a specialized focus. Some of the traits and skills they described included creativity, flexibility, understanding of technology and basic business knowledge. [Excerpt from the Vault Career Guide to Journalism & Information Media]

The most important key to landing your job in journalism is journalism-related internships, as many as you can acquire during your undergraduate education! The Career Center’s Internships in Journalism provides an excellent overview and resources for finding an internship in journalism. Breaking In, by Joe Grimm (Detroit Free Press and Recruiting and Development Editor) is a great primer on landing your first job in journalism.

General tips for your internship or first full-time opportunity

  • Be geographically broad – go where the opportunities are
  • Consider interning with smaller newspapers and magazines
  • Take an unpaid internship and work another paid job
  • Gain experience with the campus newspaper and/or magazines
  • Build your portfolio of clips and publications or your professional demo tape for radio or television broadcasting
  • Consider starting in a different journalism area if the opportunities are more populous, e.g., business reporting instead of investigative reporting or feature writing (see Breaking In, p.15-17)
  • Consider working a “tweener,” a shorter, fixed term (six months to three years) post-graduate opportunity at newspapers such as Chicago Tribune, Providence Journal, Seattle Times, and Newark Star-Ledger
  • Make the most of your internships or “tweener” – demonstrate professionalism in your work and attitude, avoid mistakes and learn and recover quickly from the ones you make; build professional relationships
  • Don’t overlook opportunities in online media, freelance, and smaller companies

Newspapers, digital information companies, and news magazines rarely recruit on campuses. Search early and frequently on Go IRISH and other job and internship databases in The Career Center Online Library.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Vault

Networking

Tips for networking with family, friends, and Notre Dame alumni. Learn how to obtain access to the Irish Online alumni database.

Professional & Student Organizations

Professional organizations provide excellent contacts for networking and informational interviews. In some cases they may post jobs and internships on their websites.