Our world is increasingly shaped by the exchange of information and the media itself is changing rapidly. With more and more people having access to the internet and social media, media and journalism careers are evolving and entering brand new territory. For those who want to make a living working in journalism and media, there are quite a few different avenues you can take.
Media & Journalism Careers Start With the Right Degree
When it comes to media and journalism careers, we’ll start with those who are writing stories in your newspaper, on your social media sties, and on your television. Journalists research stories, interview subjects, and report the news in papers, television, radio, and online. Editors work with journalists and writers of all sorts to help refine their message and clarify their presentation. Today this also consists of bloggers, social media specialists, and others who work in the world of new media.
Announcers and disk jockeys (DJs) work in radio and television, announcing program information, introducing and closing programs, and reading news, sports, and weather updates. They also often perform additional duties, such as monitoring control boards, keep programming logs, and produce advertisements for air.
On the other side of the media world are the administrative and executive workers – the ones you never see, but who make the business run. Advertisers and marketers create the ads and commercials you come across in magazines, television, and radio. Interpreters and translators communicate across language barriers in all sorts of media, as well as for companies and government agencies. And grant writers research sources of funding for their organizations and compose proposals that put their organization in the best possible position to receive the grants they’re seeking
Media & Journalism Career Salaries
Salaries in all industries are affected greatly by the geographic location in which you’re working. However, media and journalism salaries can be affected by the size of the market in which you work even more than normally. A job for a media outlet in a big city that reaches millions of people will pay much, much more than the same job in a small town.
Journalist salaries will vary greatly depending on the amount of experience the worker has, the market in which they’re working, and the media in which they work. Median salaries for reporters and correspondents in newspapers are around $33,000, while those in television and radio earn a median salary of $37,000. Broadcast newscasters and anchors earn median salaries over $50,000. Editors earn a median salary of just under $50,000 annually, with most earning between $36,000 and 69,000.
Announcers’ and DJs’ salaries range even more wildly than journalists’. The median national hourly salary for announcers were just under $13 – translating to about $26,000 annually for those working full-time hours. However, the highest ten percent earn more than $36 per hour, or $72,000 annually for full-time employees.
Advertising sales agents generally earn a median hourly wage of around $23, or about $46,000 annually. Interpreters and translators can expect a salary of around $38,000, with most earning between $28,000 and $52,000. And those working for the Federal Government earn substantially more, with an average salary just under $80,000. Grant writers earn an average salary of around $38,000, but again, this will vary depending on the size of the organization for which they write.
Education for Media & Journalism Careers
To start a career in journalism, you’ll generally need a bachelor’s in communications, English, journalism, or a related field. However, some institutions are happy to hire workers with degrees in other majors – they’ll just be looking for experience of some sort. The best education for aspiring journalists is to start writing for public consumption early and often. Work on your school newspaper in high school and college, start your own blog and update it regularly. Editors, however, are more likely to need formal training in one of the fields mentioned above. Editors are required to have a very strong grasp of the rules and conventions of the language, so it’s less likely to land a job as an editor with a degree in another field.
The educational requirements for announcers and DJs can vary widely as well. As competition for on-air positions is extremely fierce, companies are looking more and more for people with a college degree or some sort of post-secondary education. Additionally, announcers often need to have a couple years’ experience in the industry before they can land a position working on-air.
Advertising and marketing professionals usually need at least a bachelor’s degree to enter into the field, particularly into media buying or planning positions. Those seeking advanced positions within advertising – particularly in market or demographic research – would do well to pursue a graduate degree, as advanced training in marketing techniques and statistics is helpful in a competitive job market.
Interpreters often need at least a bachelor’s degree, but the field of that degree can vary widely. Obviously, the most important qualifications are a fluency in two or more languages along with solid overall communications skills, in order to become a competent interpreter or translator. Grant writers, too, usually need at least a bachelor’s degree in English or communications, and depending on the type of organization they’re seeking to work for, graduate degrees may be needed.
Featured Degrees in Media & Journalism
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Media & Journalism Career Outlook
As the internet and other forms of peer-to-peer information sharing continue to thrive, fewer and fewer people are buying newspapers or tuning in to television and radio news. However, there are still jobs out there – you just have to be persistent and willing to explore new avenues.
Reporters, news correspondents, and other journalists career opportunities are expected to decline by about 6 percent between 2008 and 2018. Companies are consolidating and converging their news operations, resulting in fewer job openings than there are candidates. Jobs for editors, however, will continue to grow by about 8 percent, as long as the worker is flexible enough to be willing to work in a variety of media.
Likewise, positions for announcers and DJs are expected to decline slightly in the coming years, by about 4 percent. Competition will continue to be keen, as many more people are seeking to become on-air talent than there are positions for them. There is some hope that the increased interest in hybrid digital radio will increase job opportunities, but that is as yet unknown.
Advertising positions are expected to see about an 8 percent growth in the coming years, though advertising and marketing positions are more dependent on the economy than most positions. In simplest terms, as the economy grows, there are more products to sell, and more marketing is needed. However, when the economy is sluggish, the opposite is true.
Interpreters and translators are expected to see some of the best job growth in the media industry, at around 22 percent. As the economy continues to globalize, more language experts are needed in order to keep the lines of communications open. Grant writers will continue to see job growth about on par with the national average for all occupations.
