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Should I save up my money and do an MA in Journalism?

10:00 / 17.11.03

Pretty much as the title says.

Anybody have any thoughts, advise or experience in this general area?

10:10 / 17.11.03

i was thinking along similar lines recently.

some training might be just what i need.
a bit of paper to wave and a bunch of guidelines to help me on my way.

why were you thinking of it?

Regrettable Juvenilia

10:24 / 17.11.03

Oh, God, I don't know. I may get an online kicking from any current professional journalists on here, but I'm not sure you could cope with having to reign in your creativity so much, Riz. In other words, I'm not sure journalism as a career (ie something you do from 9-5 Mon-Fri that pays you money) would give you that much satisfaction. But hey, if you just wanna do a journalism MA for its own sake, that could be cool.

10:37 / 17.11.03

it's surely a good way to force your self to write all the time, though, no?
even if you don't create great works of art every time, the fact that you would be gaining knowledge on everything you cover and putting words you might not otherwise on paper would be good, don't you think?

El Gato Was Right: the t-shirt

12:37 / 17.11.03

As someone who studied journalism as an undergrad, and now works at newspaper, I've got a couple of things to add.

Yes, journalism killed my prose style, and it turned me into a byline junkie. That is to say, I stopped journaling mid-way through my first year at a newspaper and haven't been able to get back into the habit, and I think it's because I like the feeling when I'm writing to be read. (Also, I think I got bored with myself as a subject, and well, shit, I was writing all day -- it's like making coffee for fun if you work at a Starbucks.)

But studying journalism is a great way to break in. You learn the form, you learn the ethics (okay, everyone, snicker), you make contacts that can lead to work in the future. And I'm almost sure I'm a better writer when it comes to pacing, tone and conveying information succinctly.

17:05 / 17.11.03

I'm not sure having an MA in journalism would really help you get hired as a journalist. Would it? I dunno. I don't know any actual journalists with any graduate degrees (except myself, if what I do now counts as journalism).

18:10 / 17.11.03

Depends on what you want. The MA is good if you are into the academic side of things, perhaps; but if you want to get a job, I'd recommend an NCTJ postgraduate course. All the best people do them, and I did too.

They do a good one at De Montfort. Honest.

There are hundreds of courses with 'journalism' in the title out there, and most of them are a bit crap for getting you a job, and are just designed for getting your money off you...

Flyboy:

JOURNALISM has dulled his creative flow, a poster on trendy lefty internet board Barbelith sensationally claimed yesterday.
He DESCRIBED how he responded to comments with a poor quality parody of tabloid prose; WAS LESS FUNNY than he thought; and GOT BORED halfway thr...

18:22 / 17.11.03

It all really depends on what you want out of it at the end of the day, Riz. As Not Me Again said, there are easier ways to actually break into journalism than doing an MA - the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) course is the industry-recognised standard and takes about an academic year to do.

On the other hand, if you're just interested in "pure" journalism out of interest, it might be worth a shot. But you won't be any "better off" by doing an MA (or, in fact, any degree in journalism) if you actually want to get into the industry. Some of the best journalists I know don't have any kind of degree - and I count myself among them

As far as journalism stifling your creativity goes... it depends. It is true that after spending all day in front of a computer screen you might be less inclined to go home and write for pleasure. But it will teach you how to write well, how to write accurately and how to get under the skin of people... not all journalism is clipped, workmanlike phraseology. I'm in features and can purple prose it with the best of the horses.

Oh, and Flyboy: ...journalism as a career (ie something you do from 9-5 Mon-Fri that pays you money)...

God, it took me seven minutes to pick myself up off the floor and stop laughing, there.

In other words, be prepared for a lot of long days, late nights, Sunday duties and shite pay.

Fantastic fucking job, though.

18:32 / 17.11.03

In other words, I'm not sure journalism as a career (ie something you do from 9-5 Mon-Fri that pays you money) would give you that much satisfaction.

Well no, but you gonna do something that pays you money, and writing crap all day is easier than pitfighting, burglary, accountancy or truckdriving..

although truck driving would be cool.

There are hundreds of courses with 'journalism' in the title out there, and most of them are a bit crap for getting you a job, and are just designed for getting your money off you...

I suspected as much. Thanks for the tip-off though.

I'll look into the NCTJ.

18:52 / 17.11.03

Oooh, yes, as Sax points out, the pay is absolutely crap unless you are very talented, very lucky, very persistent or your dad runs the Daily Telegraph (probably not the best example, that last one...)

Didn't you used to be a journo, Fly? I'm sure you once described yourself as one...

Regrettable Juvenilia

19:01 / 17.11.03

Yeah. Sort of. I'm either "failed", "resting", or just being failed by the state of the profession (pick one from a sliding scale of sympathy). To clarify, I have nothing but respect for the people who manage to make it work for them without the advantages that privilege brings - the point of the whole "9-5, pays you money" thing was sorta that it rarely is like that...

The Return Of Rothkoid

01:43 / 18.11.03

Emphasis: shite pay.

02:45 / 18.11.03

i got a masters in journalism in the states -- and, heheh, i'm not even using the degree now. my two cents on it is that it's great a program if you have little/ no experience and need to get some clips under your belt... alumni connections tend to be very useful too, if you go to an elite school. but other than that, most journalists get their job by being hard-nosed and working their way up the ladder.

as has been said, it's beyond long hours -- it's a lifestyle, it's a part of who you are, if you really want to excel. which is why i came to realize that i definitely don't have what it takes to be a regular beat reporter -- as much as i love writing, beat reporting under those kind of deadline pressures just doesn't come to me naturally.

although i've taken a different career path, i have managed to do some freelance articles since graduation... and i'm always being bothered to write newsletter articles at my current job... so it wasn't a complete waste. and dammit, it definitely was the most fun (and challenging) year of school i've ever had. pm me if you'd like to know more about the degree or my school...