A Magazine by the Society of Professional Journalists


Your Journalism Career and Degree: Worth It?

By Quill

OK, OK, we know: Journalism is in crisis. Or it’s dying. Or already dead. Or it’s the best time to be a journalist or journalism student. There’s so much innovation and excitement out there.

Ask 20 different journalists or journalism students and you’ll get 20 different takes on the industry’s future. We know there is tumult in the job market, particularly jobs traditionally tied to print-first news outlets. We can all agree on that.

This issue of Quill — the last in our 100th year of publication — places an emphasis on careers and education. In one feature you’ll read epiphanies from three longtime journalists about when the value of journalism clicked for them.

In this special feature you’ll get three perspectives on careers in journalism and getting a journalism degree. Is it all worth the heartache? Is a journalism degree worth the price of admission? Much like the “journalism is dying vs. journalism is thriving” talking points, there’s no one right answer.

A Journalism Career is Still Worth Fighting For

Is J-School Worth It: A View from Across the Pond

Questioning the J-School Choice: No, You’re Not An ’Idiot.’ But You May Be Naive If You’re Not Asking Yourself Important Questions