“Is it worth doing a postgraduate journalism degree?”
… Was the question I found myself asking last week.
It came to mind after a very interesting guest lecture by Joanna Geary, a web development editor for the business section of The Times. A pretty good job, no? But what struck me was how Joanna had got so far without a formal education in journalism (like a university postgraduate diploma or masters). I don’t mean that to sound like I’m surprised, if anything I’m in awe.
For me, the thought of trying to get a job in journalism without any formal training terrified me – I didn’t know how to be a journalist when I finished my undergraduate degree (it was a degree in philosophy for goodness sakes, not entirely practical). I didn’t know where to begin when looking for news stories, I didn’t know how to properly craft headlines or intros and loads of other practical skills that a journalist needs.
But perhaps, if the miracle of me getting a job in journalism had occurred when I graduated the first time round, these would have been things I would have learnt on the job. I’d done quite a bit of work experience which was extremely valuable, but still didn’t feel prepared to say that I was qualified enough to have a proper job.
However, work experience was something that Joanna had done a lot of. She’d also worked outside of journalism for a while after graduating, as well putting in a lot blood, sweat, tears and phone calls in the quest to find someone who would employ her on a newspaper.
Perhaps then, general life experience has a lot to do with it as well. As a 21-year-old graduate my life experience was, and probably still is relatively little. And also, perhaps some people “get it” sooner than others.
…So I’m not sure what my conclusion is, but whatever the case Joanna is an example of just what hard work and determination can achieve – with or without formal journalism training. Surely a valuable lesson for everyone to take to heart.
November 27, 2009 at 12:59 am
Neither Jane nor I had any formal qualifications in journalism when we started, Josie. Speaking for myself, I felt a complete fraud for about the first five years (I didn’t really have a clue about the law, for example) and a semi-fraud for the following five. That’s 10 years of waiting to be found out, so I’d say – looking at it from that end of the telescope – it is definitely worth doing a course and especially this one.
Not that I have a vested interest or anything …