Journalism degree

Rorate Caeli

Any other graduates of the journalism degree having trouble getting a job? :mad:

monument

Rorate Caeli wrote: »

Any other graduates of the journalism degree having trouble getting a job? :mad:

Where and what have you been trying?

There's the apparent trend of more freelancing and less staff, and we are after all in a downturn. The general issues of journalism degrees is covered by a blog post on the Irish Times' site (note the comments too) and a thread on this site's news/media board...

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055291727
http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/presenttense/2008/03/19/all-these-journalism-courses-must-mean/

Foxx92

I was seriously interested in Journalism and New Media in UL but the Irish Times Blog has put me off it. Anybody doing this course?

Mimibear

Foxx92 wrote: »

I was seriously interested in Journalism and New Media in UL but the Irish Times Blog has put me off it. Anybody doing this course?

I did the New Media and English version of this course in UL, and basically it was a glorifed english degree and little else (that's not to say that the English degree wasn't great, it was, but the Media aspect was and is seriously lacking). I can't say I have any in depth knowledge of the journalism aspect of this course but I am working with the current first years of New Media and English (as a disability assistant...as you can see no where near related to my degree...taking a year out...tried to get media experience with no luck, told I didn't have enough pratical media experience etc...) and little has changed in the four years since I started it. So here I am after my degree with little choice but to spend another few grand on a masters on the hope it might open more doors for me.

All I can say that New Media and English should be called an English Degree with the choice of media related electives which do not provide practical experience, which is essential to progress. And I don't think it would be too far-fetched to say that the journalism division is any better, it is after all a brand new course and UL has few media facilities, and don't get me started on relevant work placement...or should I say irrelevant...sorry to be so negative but I am quite disillusioned by it all!! :rolleyes:

Foxx92

Its better that I found out now in fifth year than in leaving cert. So it a pointless course relly with little chance of being employed afterwards. Thanks Mimibear:)

thusspakeblixa

hoooray!

monument

Foxx92 wrote: »

Its better that I found out now in fifth year than in leaving cert. So it a pointless course relly with little chance of being employed afterwards. Thanks Mimibear:)

I'm currently busy/sick/etc, so I'll keep this very short... no matter how good any degree course is or is known it be, getting employed or getting regular freelance work once your finished can be influnced a lot by what ground work you've put in when you're doing the degree. How much of a portfolio have you built up? What work have you done for the college paper or radio station? And/or what work have you got published else where or what contacts you've built up? etc

DublinWriter

*sigh* I see it's time for this thread to make its bi-annual appearance.

Working in the media in Ireland is all about who you know, not what you know.

OP I wish you luck with your career.

jdivision

DublinWriter wrote: »

*sigh* I see it's time for this thread to make its bi-annual appearance.

Working in the media in Ireland is all about who you know, not what you know.

OP I wish you luck with your career.

I've argued this point with you before and I think if you see a lot of the most high profile graduates from DCU there was no nepotism involved.

I'm a former graduate, am regarded as being successful and didn't know anybody in the industry before I started. Likewise, most of the people I've worked with, or for, made their own way. I can only think of one paper with the scenario you've outlined and that's the Sindo. Everyone else in my experience judges you on your merits.

To the OP, basically the quality of journalism graduates from DCU has plummeted. I'm speaking here as somebody who's brought them in on work experience, hired them for freelance shifts and have seen about 20 of them work in my office in the past. The standards were dropping anyway but it's gotten worse since the course went to three years. People are far too young, no life experience and can't write a basic news story. Instead, it's flowery feature heaven, they view themselves as writers rather than hacks. Graduates are incapable of analysis, they don't know good sources of information and I struggle to justify hiring them for a day's work - I'd get a lot more from somebody else or from a graduate who finished a few years ago. In a recent interview I did for a promotion I said it was time to look at DITs graduates in future because the DCU ones were so poor. they previously had only used DCU ones

That's a reflection on the course as is now. There's a bunch of courses taught within the degree now that are more about making the course arts related and media analysis than about preparing somebody for a career.

jdivision

DublinWriter you wouldn't happen to live in London?

monument

DublinWriter wrote: »

Working in the media in Ireland is all about who you know, not what you know.

I have to back jdivision up on that one...

Speaking from my limited print experience -- I've gotten work experience, articles published, and shifts by just contacting the relevant people. In some cases follow up calls were needed, in other cases just one or two emails worked. I didn't know anybody in the media before

I've heard of a good few people getting work experience and freelance work the same way. Of course, I've also heard of cases of nepotism, but they would be in the minority.

Bunnie

Thanks, I've applied to both DIT and DCU for the masters this year. I now see how others view both courses. I don't have an undergrad, and it has been 10 years since I was in college. Although, the publications here are difficult to get into, it's not impossible. I have recieved good feedback, and have been shortlisted for interview at both colleges.

I didn't know anyone in the business until 2 months ago, but you just need one name to work on, they'll provide you with others. Good luck with your careers. Keep pushing forward, after all, it's not like I had much to go on either.

piggies

does anyone have any idea which course is actually better (if one is better!) between DIT and DCU undergraduate journalism?

I put DCU first as I heard it's quite good and also the location of DCU suits.
But there seems to be a bit of negative feedback about the graduates of the course!!

jdivision

DCU's course is more highly regarded but the three-year nature of it is too short. Do it with a view to doing a masters afterwards if you're interested in journalism. While in DCU get as much published or broadcast as possible, be it in the college papers outside, that's far more important than your score in image analysis for example. Amazing how many people still don't get that.