Kristin Markway Shaw

Why major journalism? It’s pretty much impossible to read anything about the industry without seeing the words “death” or “crisis”.  So isn’t it a waste to get an (increasingly expensive) college degree in journalism?

Once you look beyond the title, I don’t think so. And a number of editors and publishers agree with me, or at least I’ll assert that. Mindy McAdams has a terrific round up of the survey results, and one item caught my eye. When asked to suggest any reason students should consider a career in newspapers, those editors and publishers responded that the “skills of a journalist will always be in demand regardless of format.” I think they were getting at the format shift from print to Internet, but those same skills are applicable far beyond a shift in medium.

Journalism is a practical skill, along the same lines as business, engineering and computer programming. However, it often gets lumped into liberal arts or humanities along with English, philosophy, history and political science. But I would encourage anyone who has an interest in those fields to spend some time in journalism classes. I believe the practical skills taught there are more useful in a professional atmosphere than the skills learned in literature classes.

Here are some of the skills that a journalism education (ideally) provides:

Curiosity. As a new journalist, we may try to pretend we know what’s going on. It doesn’t take long to figure out that doesn’t work. Your reporting is only as good as your questions. So we learn to unabashedly ask “but why?” over and over again until we get it.  Asking questions and being curious is a great skill to have in any job.

Big picture thinking. My colleague Nick Bergus said (via Twitter) that “j-schools teach how to organize and present info to the maximum effect and comprehension.”  I’m probably oversimplifying his point, but I think journalism forces you to look for the greater story. Journalists don’t get caught up in a bunch of tiny details. We take all of the bit of information and put them together to tell one clear story. That ability is also an asset when writing proposals, making pitches or presentations and generally communicating with other people.

Interviewing skills. Journalists learn the art of small talk. Through interviews and casual encounters, we learn how to make people comfortable, talk about non-offensive topics, and control our body language, facial expressions and verbal cues. If there is one thing I’ve found lacking in some of my new fellow colleagues and interns, it’s the ability to be sociable without crossing the line into impropriety (i.e., talking about the previous night’s debauchery). The ability to hold a conversation is crucial is almost any job, but particularly in sales, client relations and customer service.

Meeting deadlines. Although constant deadline pressure makes some of us procrastinators (guilty!), the ability to meet a deadline is crucial in almost any job. What comes hand-in-hand is the ability to multitask.

Top-notch writing skills. I hope the English majors don’t take offense, but it’s rare you find an employer who appreciates long-winded prose and imagery. Journalism, for the most part, teaches you how to write concise, uncomplicated and clear copy. This style is perfect for business communications. You might have to learn some new lingo, but all the bones are there.

I’m sure there is much, much more we could all say on the subject. Any ideas for other widely-applicable skills?

My basic point is that a journalism degree doesn’t mean you have to find, or even want, a job at a “traditional” journalism outlet.  These skills can be just as useful as a lawyer, a PR rep or a salesperson.