Do You Need a Journalism Degree to Become a Journalist?

Do you really need a journalism degree to become a journalist? No.You really do not need to obtain a degree in journalism to become a journalist/news anchor or television personality. Did you know that many renowned newscasters and television personalities that we see on television do not hold degrees in journalism? Take for example Barbara Walters, an American Broadcast Journalist who is part time host of the view; she received a degree in English and American literature. The late American Journalist Ed Bradley, best known for his work on the CBS news television magazine 60 minutes, received a degree in Education. American journalist and television personality, Anderson Cooper, (who is anchor on the CBS news show Anderson Cooper 360) focused on political science and International Relations in college. There are also many other popular television personalities who have never finished school for example; the late, and American broadcast journalist and anchorman for CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite dropped out of college, while Larry King never went to college.

Every individual is different, some may earn degrees in journalism, and others will obtain degrees in completely different fields and many others will never pursue further education. You do not need a degree in journalism to be a journalist/TV personality however; you must have decent speaking ability. You must also be able to understand the basic structure of grammar and essay writing so that can write a coherent story and present it in a clear and intelligent tone to the people. Lastly, you must have a personality that will not limit you as you will have to be social and prodding to get the job done. Experience working in the field as a volunteer or an intern is very vital into becoming a journalist/reporter/television personality. If you have particular tact (although it may take some time) you can easily work your way up from volunteer/intern to reporter and maybe even anchor.

Is obtaining a degree in journalism a complete waste?

Obtaining a degree in journalism is not a complete waste. Those that enter journalism school have the upper hand over those that never attended college because in school they get to shape their craft, participate in internships, attend seminars by veteran journalists, and work for the college paper and broadcast department. Journalism students will stand out more than their counterparts without a degree when it comes to seeking employment. However, a person that does not have a degree in journalism but has significant experience in the field, may stand out more than a college graduate with no significant experience in the media field. Journalism students also get hands on experience working with the equipment and new software used in both print and broadcast journalism. In college, students can minor in a subject and unite that with journalism so that by the time they are ready to enter the work field they will have a specialized subject that they can focus on.

Those who are interested in journalism do not have to major in journalism in college nor do they have to obtain a degree in journalism. Ideally, in life a person would want to spend their time doing what they enjoy. If journalism so happens to be that particular thing that you enjoy doing in life, then you should do one of two things; go to school and major in Journalism or not go to school for journalism and instead volunteer at various media companies to gain experience. If you want a career in media but have a main interest in another subject, you should minor in journalism or related field in college (such as communications) and major in the subject that interests you the most. Obtaining a degree is very valuable and so if you think you can handle college you should try to obtain a degree even if it is not in the journalism field.