2008 Woodie Awards
There Is Still Job Security In Journalism
Printed journalism is not the only option available to St. John's students
Lori Filacanevo, Staff Writer
Issue date: 6/23/07 Section: Editorials and Opinion
Is journalism a dying field? Several universities across the country seem to think so. A recent New York Times article reported a decline in applications to journalism fellowship programs from American journalists, although the foreign applications are continuing to pour in.
While 101 Americans applied to the John S. Knight Fellowship Program at Stanford in 2006, only 83 applied this year.
It is speculated that journalists are afraid to participate in these study programs because they might lose their job. Alex Jones, director of a research center at Harvard, said, "Journalists are afraid for their jobs. They are afraid that if the newspaper can go on without them for a year, their job might be in jeopardy." Meanwhile, Boyce Rensberger, head of the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at M.I.T., said, "I feel a little queasy encouraging young people into journalism. It's such a precarious industry right now." Print media is certainly well past its prime. These days, avid readers of publications such as the New York Times or Chicago Tribune are turning to the Internet for news. The Internet delivers the news faster and at no charge, and more people rely on logging onto the publication's website than buying it at the newsstand.
With technology advancing so much, it makes sense that journalists are afraid of losing their jobs because the medium is becoming obsolete. However, with a journalism program like the one at St. John's, there is little need for students to worry about their future. First, St. John's University has a strong reputation across the country. Aside from being one of the largest Catholic universities in the United States, classes are taught by outstanding professors, many of whom are in the business themselves and give tips and pointers to their students so they may succeed. Secondly, the journalism program offers courses in each medium of communications so that a specialization in print media is not your only option. Public relations, magazines and broadcast news are all possibilities with a journalism degree.
While 101 Americans applied to the John S. Knight Fellowship Program at Stanford in 2006, only 83 applied this year.
It is speculated that journalists are afraid to participate in these study programs because they might lose their job. Alex Jones, director of a research center at Harvard, said, "Journalists are afraid for their jobs. They are afraid that if the newspaper can go on without them for a year, their job might be in jeopardy." Meanwhile, Boyce Rensberger, head of the Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at M.I.T., said, "I feel a little queasy encouraging young people into journalism. It's such a precarious industry right now." Print media is certainly well past its prime. These days, avid readers of publications such as the New York Times or Chicago Tribune are turning to the Internet for news. The Internet delivers the news faster and at no charge, and more people rely on logging onto the publication's website than buying it at the newsstand.
With technology advancing so much, it makes sense that journalists are afraid of losing their jobs because the medium is becoming obsolete. However, with a journalism program like the one at St. John's, there is little need for students to worry about their future. First, St. John's University has a strong reputation across the country. Aside from being one of the largest Catholic universities in the United States, classes are taught by outstanding professors, many of whom are in the business themselves and give tips and pointers to their students so they may succeed. Secondly, the journalism program offers courses in each medium of communications so that a specialization in print media is not your only option. Public relations, magazines and broadcast news are all possibilities with a journalism degree.
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