Multimedia Journalism or Communication studies.

[angelgrievous]

I'm starting school in May and trying to decide which degree to go for. I wanna write. I'd like to write about video games but wouldn't be opposed to being in the background, producing and such. I live about 45 minutes from school and my truck isn't the best on gas.

I'd like to go with multimedia journalism but I'd have to drive to school and back for classes. If I choose communication studies I can take the classes online.

My question is, will it make a difference overall when applying for jobs?

 

[gnarlyxcharlie]

I went for print journalism and honestly regret it. The field is dying and full of layoffs and incredibly underpaid. I left it after just two years.

Edit: I have some acquaintances that have hit it big in broadcast journalism. One thing I can stress is a healthy drive. You need to be there putting in the work and then some to be successful in your field of choice. Write for a school paper, maintain a blog of your own with frequent writings, and get an internship ASAP

 

[Vic_Viper]

Do communication studies. It will open you up to more opportunities in the long run, like say for example if you cant find the exact job you want at first. You dont need a degree to write about games, just alot of practice. Or rather, a degree doesnt mean you will automatically get a job if you dont have the experience writing alot on your own. Just keep writing and writing and put your work out there for others to see whenever you feel its good enough.

I would also try and take some courses on campus from time to time. It does have its benefits.

 

[angelgrievous]

I went for print journalism and honestly regret it. The field is dying and full of layoffs and incredibly underpaid. I left it after just two years.

Edit: I have some acquaintances that have hit it big in broadcast journalism. One thing I can stress is a healthy drive. You need to be there putting in the work and then some to be successful in your field of choice. Write for a school paper, maintain a blog of your own with frequent writings, and get an internship ASAP

Click to shrink...

I have nothing but drive at the moment. I was asleep at the wheel for too long and now I want to chase after something I've always wanted to and I'm finally in a position to do just that. I'm just not sure if the two degrees in question matter as far as job prospects go and taking online classes versus driving an hour and a half a day for a different title will make a difference or not.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

I have a journalism degree from MU. It's usually ranked the second-best J-school in the country. Also, I'm on mobile so, yes, I'm sure there will be a lot of mistakes in this post.

I was EIC of an award winning HS paper, love writing, love photography, and adore telling stories. My education taught me quite a bit, and gave me some wonderful experiences. Ultimately, though, I started school knowing that most do not end up in their desired field. Outside of law, medicine, etc., many know they're just chasing that piece of paper so they can land a desk job making $50k a year, and getting holidays off.

I knew this. So I wasn't devastated to graduate and realize there are very few jobs out there, and the vast majority that still exist come with horrible pay ($30k-$40k/year with shit benefits and very little room to grow.

I got a consulting job that had nothing to do with my degree, alongside several graduates with all kinds of different undergrads making a fair bit more than the numbers mentioned above. And in the seven years since, I've continued to work my way up.

Look, it's possible to land a writing gig that is 1) good, 2) stable, 3) you enjoy, and 4) pays well. My ex from the time now works for the BBC; I still have a couple close friends working at national newspapers. Just know it requires an insane amount of dedication and a shit ton of luck. If you just want to write for a website doing video game reviews, you'll probably have better luck learning the basics and jumping in to building your own site or doing video reviews on a YouTube. That's not a joke.

 

[lenovox1]

I have nothing but drive at the moment. I was asleep at the wheel for too long and now I want to chase after something I've always wanted to and I'm finally in a position to do just that. I'm just not sure if the two degrees in question matter as far as job prospects go and taking online classes versus driving an hour and a half a day for a different title will make a difference or not.

Click to shrink...

To condense what they said above: Both of those degrees will offer you the same opportunities. Be prolific, be aggressive, and take on internships that interest you.


---

The multimedia journalism program will probably be more journalism focused and more creation focused in the later part of the degree. You'll be dealing more with editing, producing, writing, and other general journism studies.

The communications degree should be more general and give you a taste of marketing and PR. Probably no in-depth journalism studies, but plenty content creation.

On that end, it would be aboutnwhat program interested you the most. And the first two years would be about the same type of work, btw. You could start with the communications major and switch to the journalism major if that's what you want your focus to be at the end of your course work.

 

[UnluckyKate]

Marketing PR were the most shallow, unfufilling and life sucking years of my life.

There are many form of it in the real world to find work so you can always pick your preferences but I hated every single aspect of my years studying and working in this field.

 

[Zhengi]

Honestly, you should go with something that will provide you with a good job after you graduate. Do something like computer science instead.

 

[lenovox1]

Honestly, you should go with something that will provide you with a good job after you graduate. Do something like computer science instead.

Click to shrink...

You can use a journalism degree to get a marketing or consulting job, which are not going away any time soon. Particularly in the social media era where everyone is a "brand."

 

[angelgrievous]

Honestly, you should go with something that will provide you with a good job after you graduate. Do something like computer science instead.

Click to shrink...

I've thought about this and have considered an IT focus but I don't have any passion for it in the least. I don't think I could justify going back to school to earn a degree in something I have no interest in in the hope of earning more money.

 

[fracas]

I went for print journalism and honestly regret it. The field is dying and full of layoffs and incredibly underpaid. I left it after just two years.

Edit: I have some acquaintances that have hit it big in broadcast journalism. One thing I can stress is a healthy drive. You need to be there putting in the work and then some to be successful in your field of choice. Write for a school paper, maintain a blog of your own with frequent writings, and get an internship ASAP

Click to shrink...

I'd like to second this. I worked at an NPR station while in college, loved it, and now I work at my city newspaper. We've had a lot of people leave in the two years I've been here, and layoffs are about to hit again. I'm trying to land a PR job somewhere else, but my fiancee attends the local college, so I might be here for the next couple years til she graduates.

I would stay away from print journalism, OP. The pay is terrible, the work is demanding and thankless, and you'll never have any sort of regular schedule. Maybe it's just my experience, but you are on call pretty much all the time. I went into school and my career with the same hungry mindset you had, and I burned myself out faster than I thought possible.

 

[GillianSeed79]

Communications studies would probably give you more marketable job skills. Honestly, journalism, especially print, is a dying profession, and you might end up living just above the poverty line if you pursue it. I was much like you at your age. I liked writing and videogames, so, naturally, I wanted to write about videogames. I earned a degree in Mass Communications with a professional focus in print media. I spent the next 12 years working my butt off in print journalism and making lest than $30K, until I eventually just burned out. It also killed my passion for writing. It's a noble, but thankless profession. There's little financial upward mobility, and there's a billion j-school grads waiting in the wings to replace you. Don't let me discourage you, though. I know people who are successful in the profession, but I honestly regret getting my degree in it. Right now, I work in a call center with people who only have high school diplomas, yet I make more money now than I did working 12 years in print media. I actually think I'm going to go back to college to get a second degree in information tech. If you want to write about videogames, you'd probably be better starting a Youtube /Twitch channel and studying computer science/marketing/video production, or something. Trust me, it sucks watching everyone you know from college making twice as much as you do , while you struggle to make ends meet.

 

[ZackieChan]

I would strongly recommend that you don't make writing about video games a career goal. Do it, but don't expect to make a living doing it. Seems like a great idea, but when the real world hits I'm afraid you will regret it.

 

[bitSS]

I took Communication Sciences, and right now am a Category Specialist, and I write for a portuguese gaming news blog as a volunteer, because there's no market for video games news blogs here. Don't have Journalism only if you have the chance of a way more versatile graduation.

Edit: I should say that I work as an Electronics/Gaming Category Specialist, so I ended up with the best of both worlds anyway.

 

[CloudWolf]

As someone who did communication studies (with a focus on new media), I can tell you it's completely and utterly useless. I liked the themes we explored, so I stuck with it, but in regards to future prospects it's one of the more useless studies you can do.

I guess it depends on your level of communication studies, though. I did communication at university level and I learned zero marketable skills for jobs. However, I could tell you a shitload about McLuhan and Foucault.

I haven't heard good things from journalism either, mainly because there are so many journalism studies that the chance of a recent graduate actually getting a journalism job is incredibly small.

EDIT: And forget about going into video game journalism as a paying job, unless you're part of the very lucky few, you're not going to get paid for that shit.

 

[siddx]

I have a BA in journalism. If I had stayed in Florida I may have actually been able to pursue a career in that field as the professor who taught all the journalism classes was close with me and offered to help me find a job.
That was 15 years ago though, and even then it was becoming difficult to get jobs in that field. Now a days? It's a worthless degree. Most journalists are about as professional and qualified as a drunk infant.

My masters in education has been much more useful.

 

[TestMonkey]

Multimedia journalism is probably better if you want to write. Be aware though that you're going to have to unlearn a lot of things and basically start from scratch. Pretty much everything you learned in high school is worthless.

 

[cbrotherson]

EDIT: And forget about going into video game journalism as a paying job, unless you're part of the very lucky few, you're not going to get paid for that shit.

Click to shrink...

Sorry to muddy the waters, but this isn't entirely true :)

I'm a multi-media journalism MA graduate (Bournemouth, UK) and it was partly the reason I got into the games industry. If your course does a placement then it gives you the opportunity to persue a job in the industry while you study.

My first job was as a games journalist (at a site called Games Domain) almost immediately after finishing my degree, due to both a placement and the fact that having a journalism qualification was a big plus in a field where surprisingly few have one.

Now, this was about 17 years back, but take in mind that while there's more competition/people writing, there are also a lot more websites now than there were back then, and thus more opportunities to break in, especially as the games journalism market still has surprisingly few graduates (due to the rise of blogs, YouTubers etc). Having a writing degree is a big plus - showing that you can write is obviously the main thing, but having a trained qualification means you're automatically ahead of the average application. Trust me, I've seen a lot of applications.

Plus, games writing isn't just journalism, and it's a transferable skill. If you can show you can work to deadlines, be flexible with any Content Management System and can be good with social and broadcast media (... and not plagiarize... not naming names), you have a good chance.

It's about being open to not just strictly games journalism. And there are more opportunities out there than many often realise.

 

[shaneo632]

Honestly for online journalism qualifications mean squat. I didn't bother and got work, I have friends who got formal certifications and have never used them.

 

[Glasgow Mega-Snake]

Honestly, if you want to go into journalism, practical experience is much more important than a specific degree. Try to get your writing out there, whether it's via internships, freelancing for a local paper or a campus paper (those may not be very professional, but joining one is a simple way to show initiative and practice journalism skills).

That said, it's true that the job situation is shitty. Journalism isn't going away any time soon, but the jobs that actually let you have a life are. These days most people are either freelancers who have to be always on call while earning shit money, or they're slaving away for the 24h news cycle with equally crazy hours.

 

[angelgrievous]

Thanks everyone for their replies and input. I've got about 5 months to figure out what I'm going to do. I'm leaning towards multimedia journalism because, well, it's the only thing that actually sounds interesting to me. I know it'll be a challenge and I also know it might not lead to anything but with the way things are going now it can't be any worse.

Sorry to muddy the waters, but this isn't entirely true :)

I'm a multi-media journalism MA graduate (Bournemouth, UK) and it was partly the reason I got into the games industry. If your course does a placement then it gives you the opportunity to persue a job in the industry while you study.

My first job was as a games journalist (at a site called Games Domain) almost immediately after finishing my degree, due to both a placement and the fact that having a journalism qualification was a big plus in a field where surprisingly few have one.

Now, this was about 17 years back, but take in mind that while there's more competition/people writing, there are also a lot more websites now than there were back then, and thus more opportunities to break in, especially as the games journalism market still has surprisingly few graduates (due to the rise of blogs, YouTubers etc). Having a writing degree is a big plus - showing that you can write is obviously the main thing, but having a trained qualification means you're automatically ahead of the average application. Trust me, I've seen a lot of applications.

Plus, games writing isn't just journalism, and it's a transferable skill. If you can show you can work to deadlines, be flexible with any Content Management System and can be good with social and broadcast media (... and not plagiarize... not naming names), you have a good chance.

It's about being open to not just strictly games journalism. And there are more opportunities out there than many often realise.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for this. I am open to other opportunities in writing/journalism. I have a wide array of interest and wouldn't be opposed to being apart of any of them in some capacity.

 

[DiceHands]

Mass Comm degree here. I dont regret it, but I also am not actively pursuing a career in those areas either. What I have found is that a communication degree can really help you get in the door at a marketing/PR company or just for general big companies looking for people that have graduated from college.

IMO, there are definitely worse degrees to get. But as others have said, its a very tough industry to get into immidietely and will take some time for the industry to catch up to technology before there is a giant boom in hiring.

If it is something youre passionate about, do it. Find a "regular" job, do that while you build up your portfolio and just keep applying to that dream job you want when it pops up.

 

[Smylie]

I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Communications with an Emphasis in Print Journalism in 1999, and did the newspaper thing for a few years before the writing on the wall for the industry because clear, and I jumped to greener pastures. Moved to newspaper advertising, then marketing, and now work as a communication consultant for a big consulting firm.

There are a lot of skills that transfer over from one comms-related job to another, so you should be good either way, but it sounds like you want to avoid driving to school, so there is one clearly better option for you. Like others have said, though, you should absolutely be active in the school newspaper, as that's a great way to network, develop newsroom skills and instincts, and become a critical writer/editor/reader. Reach out to them and see if you can submit stories virtually, because even though that's not the real deal, that would be better than nothing.

 

[newline]

Multimedia journalism is getting really interesting right now. I've been writing a report over the holiday about virtual reality and it's capacity as an empathy machine. I had to explore how virtual reality witness experiences can create 'improper distance'. This shit's really interesting, there's so many moral implications to this new format that are still in the process of being discovered. I'm using studies like this one: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17503280.2017.1340796. It discusses the UN virtual reality projects that were completed with the help of Chris Milk (it's worth looking into what this guy has to say).

 

[cbrotherson]

Thanks for this. I am open to other opportunities in writing/journalism. I have a wide array of interest and wouldn't be opposed to being apart of any of them in some capacity.

Click to shrink...

No problem - for what it's worth, I wanted to be a games journo from 11 years old and was told that:

A) There's no money in it (- my counter: it depends on where you work. Print has been and in some ways continues to be poorly paid on average but you have more opportunities to work on more publications than just the one you primarily work on. On a whole, pure internet journalism pays better than print, and marketing writing pays better than journalism)

B) It was "slum" journalism (- I've had a lot more fun working in games and film than 'real world' journalism)

C) It's impossible to break into (- I broke in on first attempt 'against all odds', and was willing to start small and be flexible to aid this).

The nature of modern day writing means there are far more avenues than before, and far more ways to demonstrate your work, which means having a formal education is an advantage not everyone has access to. My work for PlayStation is different to when I was working for Eurogamer, which was different to when I was working for Yahoo. The internet has made flexibility a key skill, so as long as you're willing to change with the demands of the craft, without losing your core skill (writing) you'll find something. It's just being open to doing something which may not be necessarily what you originally envisioned. But once you're in, you can work towards something closer.

 

[Addleburg]

I graduated back in 2008 with a degree in Communications, so my experience may not apply that much today, but I always got the sense that my specific Communications degree didn't really end up mattering when it came to opening up doors. A buddy of mine majored in Journalism and he also found that he didn't ultimately do much with the degree, although I can't say whether that's because the degree didn't help, or because he chose to focus on something else after graduating.

If you're interested in writing, I can't help but think the best chance you have at doing it professionally is to just write. There's nothing wrong with taking classes that'll help you hone your writing style and educate you on what makes good writing good, but I can't help but think that the degree itself may be the least important element in determining whether you'll be able to write professionally once you graduate.

If you're able to write in a way that attracts a loyal group of followers, and you have great writing samples to show off to prospective employers, I'd think you could major in just about anything and still do alright.

Having a writing degree is a big plus - showing that you can write is obviously the main thing, but having a trained qualification means you're automatically ahead of the average application. Trust me, I've seen a lot of applications.

Click to shrink...

Maybe I'm wrong about the degree part, then. I guess listen to this guy.

 

[TarpitCarnivore]

Honestly, you should go with something that will provide you with a good job after you graduate. Do something like computer science instead.

Click to shrink...

This is such a narrow minded view on degrees and jobs. We really need to stop with the stem drum beating.

 

[cbrotherson]

Maybe I'm wrong about the degree part, then. I guess listen to this guy.

Click to shrink...

I'd say the quality of the degree plays a huge factor. From mine, I learned about the differences of style and reporting between TV, radio, print and internet, what it's like to work in a newsroom, how to do basic solo broadcasting (this was before YouTube and phone cameras were a thing), how to doorstep quote, media law and a ton of other practical stuff aside from writing technique. Which was all useful knowledge and, at the time, not widely available.

These days all the above is a bit more accessible but sometimes having an official document which says you were taught by people from an established uni can really help, especially if that uni has kept up with current tech and technique. What you're going for and what you're taught do play a factor, though.

 

[angelgrievous]

I'd say the quality of the degree plays a huge factor. From mine, I learned about the differences of style and reporting between TV, radio, print and internet, what it's like to work in a newsroom, how to do basic solo broadcasting (this was before YouTube and phone cameras were a thing), how to doorstep quote, media law and a ton of other practical stuff aside from writing technique. Which was all useful knowledge and, at the time, not widely available.

These days all the above is a bit more accessible but sometimes having an official document which says you were taught by people from an established uni can really help, especially if that uni has kept up with current tech and technique. What you're going for and what you're taught do play a factor, though.

Click to shrink...

I just wanted to thank you again for your input. I have 5 months before I can start school so I'm planning on looking into starting a blog, freelancing, or getting in with the school paper. Like you it's been something I've wanted to do from a young age and am finally taking the steps to see if I can make it. I'm not afraid of failing, I'm afraid of never trying.

Again, thanks to everyone for your taking the time to help me out. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be a nervous wreck no matter what, I've got a ton of work to do in the next 5 months.

 

[NineConsonants]

The OP talks about passion, but I've always felt that was the wrong thing to push with education. Very few people have a true workable passion. I feel like it's best to figure out what you are good at and what you at least enjoy at times or can regularly tolerate. Don't get into something that you hate, obviously. But don't chase what you love with reckless abandon as to what it may lead to.

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

I've been writing about games for a decade now.
Shit ain't worth it.

 

[cbrotherson]

I just wanted to thank you again for your input. I have 5 months before I can start school so I'm planning on looking into starting a blog, freelancing, or getting in with the school paper. Like you it's been something I've wanted to do from a young age and am finally taking the steps to see if I can make it. I'm not afraid of failing, I'm afraid of never trying.

Again, thanks to everyone for your taking the time to help me out. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be a nervous wreck no matter what, I've got a ton of work to do in the next 5 months.

Click to shrink...

You're on the right path with the right attitude - keep going and best of luck!

 

[KingM]

Major in something lucrative join the school paper and minor in journalism. You are very passionate but there will very likely be a time in your life where money and benefits will matter.

 

[angelgrievous]

The OP talks about passion, but I've always felt that was the wrong thing to push with education. Very few people have a true workable passion. I feel like it's best to figure out what you are good at and what you at least enjoy at times or can regularly tolerate. Don't get into something that you hate, obviously. But don't chase what you love with reckless abandon as to what it may lead to.

Click to shrink...

Well, it's either this or building decks/installing windows for the rest of my life. Nothing wrong with that really but yolo and all that jazz.

I don't know, I want to do something different. I've got an open mind but yeah, passion is what's driving me at the moment.

 

[KingFrost92]

Multimedia for sure, especially if any of it focuses on design or advertising. I went to college for journalism with a focus in video production and design, and those skills are very valuable for marketing positions, which is what I currently work in. I also learned a ton about editorial work, which I eventually really fell in love with during college. Turns out, if you write enough, you get good at figuring out what works and what doesn't in writing, which EVERY company needs in QA positions. We were told that 90% of people who get a degree in journalism will end up working in advertising, and that's been true in my personal experience, not just for me but all of my friends too.

If you want to go in to video or creative storytelling, you better already be making videos a ton to build a portfolio. Going on a trip? Bring a camera and make a story from it. If you start building a portfolio of projects now, it's only going to be easier for you in the future. Even with 10 years of experience, I've had almost no luck getting jobs in video production or video journalism. Every company wants someone who can do everything, for very little pay, and putting a ton of energy into multimedia instead of also building out writing and reporting skills basically means that the only route for a career there is to start your own company. I've done that, but it's slow going and nobody wants to pay what video work actually costs if you don't already have an established name in your area.

Anyway, every company wants the skills that you're going to develop if you're going into journalism, especially video, design, and the social work that comes with reporting, you just have a slim chance of working in a field that's considered "journalism" unless you're willing to move somewhere else. All my friends who actually got jobs in the field ended up moving into the middle of nowhere, because local papers are the only ones that still hire, and those jobs are very, very hard to keep for a long time.

 

[higemaru]

Comms Studies. I am a print journalism major, but I'm going to grad school for cultural studies which is an extension of comms studies. The print journalism field is dire rn and while you'll learn valuable tools if you go into the major, you can learn them without investing in the classes with research tools picked up from your comms studies classes.

There is also little harm in changing majors, just make sure your credits transfer!

 

[Biggersmaller]

I'm starting school in May and trying to decide which degree to go for. I wanna write. I'd like to write about video games but wouldn't be opposed to being in the background, producing and such.

Click to shrink...

Sweet mother of God...

Becoming a professional writer is nearly impossible. Being a professional writer on a gaming beat is actually impossible. If you are lucky enough to land either, you are probably as likely to get many of these gigs without a communications/journalism degree than with any other degree.

Education is a massive investment. Do not waste this kind on passions that can be fulfilled on other ways without a massive gamble. It's time to be practical now more than ever.

 

[Stinkles]

Haha. I took Media in college because I didn't know what I wanted to do and so I studied pre-internet journalism, broadcast media, film photography and nascent computing media that was already extinct when I arrived on campus. My internships at a video tv production house and a very good boutique ad agency were much more useful than the coursework outside of rigor and form.

If I could do it all again I'd go full useless -- History or English BA with maybe an eye to a masters and academia or a full practical STEM coding /engineering track. Which wasn't easy then.

My passion is physics and cosmology but my math is woefully inadequate.

But I would not look at a formal journalism track as a career in this environment of zero hurdle media access unless - and I am serious - you're outlandishly attractive - then you can make those two things work together really profitably.