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Frequently-Asked Questions: The Newspaper Journalism Sequence
What type of work do people in newspaper journalism?
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"Students who graduate from the newspaper journalism sequence typically take jobs as reporters, editors, designers, graphics editors or producers for newspapers. Increasingly, students are finding jobs in online and other sorts of electronic publications."
Scott Swafford
Newspaper Journalism Faculty
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"Missouri Journalism alumni are working all over the world and are represented in every level from top management to entry-level. You might want to check out the Profiles in Success on this Web site. Alumni share information about their jobs, what they've learned and other highlights in these features."
Brian Brooks
Undergraduate Studies Dean
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What kind of background is important?
"Students in newspaper journalism learn to report and write stories. They learn to edit them, write headlines for them, and design the pages they go on; they also learn about graphics and photos."
Liz Brixey
Newspaper Journalism Faculty
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"You'll need exactly the kinds of skills we teach you. Folks who want to be reporters need to learn to identify and research news stories, to identify and interview sources, to write clean and well-organized news copy on deadline and to work well with editors and other facets of the newsroom. Investigative reporters increasingly require computer-assisted data analysis skills. Those going into newspaper or Web design must learn how to edit copy and how to use computer pagination software to make news packages most appealing to readers. Those who hope to be editors must learn all the skills that reporters need but the ability to manage teams of reporters, to edit copy quickly on deadline and to exercise lightning news judgment."
Scott Swafford
Newspaper Journalism Faculty
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What type of hands-on experience might I get while I'm in school?
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"I'm working for real companies and creating advertisements for their products. The hands-on experience I'm involved in is almost exactly what I plan to be doing after I graduate."
Kate Cerve
Newspaper Journalism Student
Shorewood, Ill.
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"Your editors give you a lot of responsibility. They're there to help you, but it's implied that they count on students to produce the newspapers. That forces you to get the work done. It's a compliment that they're giving you the responsibility. They trust you. Because the Missourian is real, it's as close to being a real-world job, but not getting paid. The pressure is there."
John Dietrich
Newspaper Journalism Student
Portland, Ore.
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"You work at the Missourian. It's very fast-paced, always on the go. What you take out of it is what you put into it. You really develop a support system. I've made many good friends. Because you're getting published, you get recognized for your work, and you have students, faculty, deans and even the president of the university system say how great a story you've written. That makes me feel good."
Sheena Martin
Newspaper Journalism Student
Spring, Texas
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"You get to be a reporter at the Missourian. It throws you right in there with a safety net. You take classes to prepare for the experience, and while you're working, the editor supports you."
Cristof Traudes
Newspaper Journalism Student
Columbia, Mo.
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"Our students have the best of both worlds: a liberal arts education and ample opportunities to practice journalism and Newspaper Journalism."
Brian Brooks
Undergraduate Studies Dean
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How do you benefit from learning from faculty who have had practical experience in the field?
"I think because almost all of my professors have had extensive experience in reporting, it gives them a better perspective and helps give good examples of when they were out in the field and can, in turn, explain to us what to expect when we go out in the field. Our learning is more than information from books."
Millie Munshi
Newspaper Journalism Student
Skokie, Ill.
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"You are taught by faculty who know what they're doing. You can draw on their first-hand experiences. You learn what the real world is like because they've gone through it. It's very practical and builds on theories. It's beneficial because these are people who are doing or have done all that you're going to do."
Cristof Traudes
Newspaper Journalism Student
Columbia, Mo.
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"My editor treats us as employees, not students. He doesn't act like he's the professor and he knows more than us. Rather he treats us like equals and that makes it feel like a real-work environment. I really like the J-School because it's really demanding; it's not just busy work because my work is important and getting published."
Kate Cerve
Newspaper Journalism Student
Shorewood, Ill.
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"The faculty know what you actually have to do on the job. For my info graphics class, I had a professor who had done it extensively and knew current trends and the best way to accomplish projects. The theory was combined with the how-to application."
John Dietrich
Newspaper Journalism Student
Portland, Ore.
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"They know what the stress of the job is like. They know what we're going through when we feel overloaded, and they have practical advice on how to get through it. They know who to contact when it looks like a story is in dire need of help."
Sheena Martin
Newspaper Journalism Student
Spring, Texas
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What other qualities and skills are valuable?
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"Curiosity and the ability to engage sources in conversation are the primary personal skills a reporter will need. They also need to be able to coordinate their efforts with others in the newsroom. Editors must be able to offer constructive criticism and to improve their reporters' working while imparting important lessons at the same time. Anyone going into journalism must be willing to work long and weird hours when the news requires they do so."
Scott Swafford
Newspaper Journalism Faculty
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"The best traits a budding journalist can have are curiosity about the world and the people who live in it. We can't teach that; the rest of the skills we can teach you."
Liz Brixey
Newspaper Journalism Faculty
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Where do Missouri Journalism students get internships?
"Our students usually have had at least one internship by the time they graduate. These have been in news reporting, producing, advertising, photography, public relations, magazine writing, event planning, design and much more. The internships are in major U.S. cities as well as in smaller communities, representing the wide range of interests of our students, who, incidentally, come from every state in the nation and from more than 30 countries. You might want to check out a list of almost 300 student internships at media outlets, agencies and other organizations where our students have worked in recent years."
Phou Sengsavanh
Career Center
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What kind of jobs are graduates getting with a newspaper journalism emphasis?
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"Our top-level graduates frequently win jobs at high profile or mid-size metropolitan newspapers, including the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the Kansas City Star and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Some choose careers in public relations, though that's not what newspaper journalism is about."
Scott Swafford
Newspaper Journalism Faculty
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"Graduates get jobs in all fields; a newspaper journalism degree is incredibly versatile. We teach you how to communicate clearly and accurately; that's an indispensable skill. But within newspaper journalism, grads get jobs at newspapers; reporting stories, reporting and creating graphics, editing, designing, photographing."
Liz Brixey
Newspaper Journalism Faculty
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What are the salaries and working environment like in this field?
"Salaries are not the reason you should get into this business. But if you never want to be bored, and if you are interested in people and their stories, and you are interested in sharing those stories and what they mean to the community, then journalism is a great way to live. I've always had job satisfaction."
Liz Brixey
Newspaper Journalism Faculty
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"Salaries vary greatly. If you come out of college and go to work for a small-town newspaper, you can expect to make only $22,000 to $24,000 per year, or even less. If you hit it big and land an entry-level job at a major metro, you might be making something more toward $35,000 to $40,000 per year, with quick opportunity to advance. Where you end up depends a lot on personal preference and your level of experience with internships and other journalism opportunities in college."
Scott Swafford
Newspaper Journalism Faculty
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"Salaries depend on the particular job tasks, the size of company you'll work for, and the location or region in which you work. For information on specific jobs in certain locations, two Web sites to visit for more detailed salary information are www.salary.com or www.monster.com."
Phou Sengsavanh
Career Center
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What is one tip you would give incoming students about this sequence?
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"For the reporting side, even if you don't want to be a reporter, try to love it, try to own it, because if you don't, it will be miserable. I loved it, it consumed my life but I loved it. You have to love it and make it your own."
Sheena Martin
Newspaper Journalism Student
Spring, Texas
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"I'd suggest that students get involved right away with various outlets like student newspapers. It helps you gain an edge over your peers."
Millie Munshi
Newspaper Journalism Student
Skokie, Ill.
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"Persevere and be ready for a long haul. You must know that you will be spending a lot of time at the Missourian for two years, probably around 20-25 hours a week. There have been times when it's taken 30-35 hours a week. You have to be ready for that, but let yourself get into journalism and enjoy it as much as you can."
John Dietrich
Newspaper Journalism Student
Portland, Ore.
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"Be prepared to work hard. Get a really high GPA while you're taking your general requirements because it will help you as an upperclassman."
Kate Cerve
Newspaper Journalism Student
Shorewood, Ill.
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"You need to know you want to do this. This job isn't glamorous. You have to care about this and about what you're writing because you're going to spend a good majority of your time working here."
Cristof Traudes
Newspaper Journalism Student
Columbia, Mo.
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Missouri School of Journalism Undergraduate Handbook
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