More And More Students Choosing Journalism As A Major, Even As Newspapers Face Troubles

While newspapers may be in trouble, journalism is actually doing quite well

From Tech Dirt Thanks to all the fretting and worrying about the financial trouble and potential demise of many mainstream newspapers, it’s become something of a curiosity that more students than ever seem to be going into college journalism programs (found via Romenesko).

However, as the article details, it all makes sense once you realize the simple fact: while newspapers may be in trouble, journalism is actually doing quite well.

Just as many people mistakenly believe that the recording industry represents the music industry, the newspaper industry is hardly a proxy for journalism. Journalism, these days, has expanded well beyond newspapers, and a big part of the problem is that newspapers just aren’t as good a medium for news as various other platforms.

The second important point that the article above makes clear: journalism, by itself, isn’t necessarily a profession. For many students, they see journalism as important training for other professions — such as law, PR, consulting or management.

That’s a point that’s often ignored these days. The ability to clearly explain what’s happening, gathering facts, understanding various viewpoints, and coherently summarizing all the points of view is actually a really valuable skill beyond just journalism. So, don’t fear for “journalism.” It’s going strong. The problem is newspapers who haven’t been able to shift course in the midst of a rapidly changing market.