No, journalism isn’t dying. And young journalists- they have everything at their fingertips.
Feature Coverage teacher Betsy Rau stands by this statement after she took over the class for the first time in 25 years.
“I would die to be a young journalist right now,” Rau said. “Journalism is alive and well, it’s more available than it ever was. It’s an exciting time to be a journalist.”
The Feature Coverage class teaches column writing and in-depth features to students with prior writing experience. The last time Rau taught this class was in 1991 and according to her, much has changed as the print medium switched to a technological platform.
“The internet is so powerful,” student Katlyn Rood-Ballard said, “but in journalism it’s hard to pursue people to be interested in what you are trying to say.”
In 2012 a career guidance website, CareerCast, rated journalism as the fifth worst job, measuring things like outlook, work environment, and physical demands. But students, such as those in the Feature Coverage class, believe that it’s still a promising career path that is evolving into something better. Even Rau’s son, who went from being his high school’s design editor to a designer on the San Diego Union Tribune, was able to achieve a journalism position without a college degree.
Student Elizabeth Ballinger said, “As (Pulitzer Prize-winner) M.L. Elrick said last night, it’s one of the most competitive fields. But I wouldn’t think that since it’s pretty much everywhere. Wherever you go you see news stories.”
Good article! It helps provide a new perspective on the journalism field in 2016, especially from an insider. It would be interesting to see the perspective of somebody who isn’t a journalist, however.