Journalism

Sindy1990 · 23-09-2008 09:14PM

sarah_w wrote: »

Analysing media for me too! Is there actually anyone else doing any other module!?!

I think one other person on her is doing the politics one!

thusspakeblixa · 23-09-2008 09:17PM

I really wanted to the American Political System, it's just I thought Analysing Media Content sounded more useful (I could be wrong there though

)

Paddy-Megans-Lo · 23-09-2008 11:17PM

thusspakeblixa wrote: »

I really wanted to the American Political System, it's just I thought Analysing Media Content sounded more useful (I could be wrong there though )

Yeah i'd say that would have been a deadly module, especially with the whole american politics frenzy going on this winter! But... Didn't really see how it would be beneficial to me in the long-run so chose media instead..:o

jdivision · 24-09-2008 12:06PM

My only bit of advice would be that, lovely man though he is, if Des McGuinness is lecturing for analysing media content be prepared for the course to be about Renaissance art etc. unless it's been improved since I did a similiar titled course (many moons ago)

Paddy-Megans-Lo · 26-09-2008 09:24PM

jdivision wrote: »

My only bit of advice would be that, lovely man though he is, if Des McGuinness is lecturing for analysing media content be prepared for the course to be about Renaissance art etc. unless it's been improved since I did a similiar titled course (many moons ago)

Des is our tutor i think.
And this semester he is teaching intro to social studies..

thusspakeblixa · 03-10-2008 10:00PM

Death to Information and Study Skills.

That is all.

monument · 04-10-2008 02:31PM

thusspakeblixa wrote: »

Death to Information and Study Skills.
That is all.

No!

If the first day of it is any indication of the subject as a whole, then that's not enough. It needs a long, painful, and bloody death.

Jannah · 09-10-2008 04:32PM

Arrrgh, I don't have a clue whether or not to do journalism in UL or DCU....
The DCU degree is a year shorter... but seems a little more interesting... but is so far away...
Is it worth moving to Dublin for, do ye think? Or would UL be on the same boat, really?

jdivision · 09-10-2008 05:14PM

The standard of DCU graduates has been dropping and the idea of turning it into a 3-year course was silly - they should have sent people away for a year. the UL course at least has shorthand but it's stupid having your work experience in year 3 and then having to tell an employer who might want to keep you that you have to go back to college for a year.

skateing dragon · 09-10-2008 06:52PM

Hey all Journo students in DCU, sorry for crashing your thread, but I'm a 6th year and I have a few questions I was hoping you could answer please.

1. What kind of things do you study, I mean do you do any literature or that kind of stuff. Is it all about the news etc?

2. Is it very practical? Do you get to write a lot and improve your skills?

3. What are the lectures like? Interesting, boring, mind-boggling?

4. What is your favorite thing about the course?

And lastly, mainly for the graduates, what job opportunities have you had with this degree? Can you only go into journo? And is it possible to do a masters afterwards in Creative Writing or something?

I know it's a lot but I just need to research these kind of things before I decide on a course. Thanks in advance

thusspakeblixa · 09-10-2008 07:46PM

skateing dragon wrote: »

Hey all Journo students in DCU, sorry for crashing your thread, but I'm a 6th year and I have a few questions I was hoping you could answer please.

1. What kind of things do you study, I mean do you do any literature or that kind of stuff. Is it all about the news etc?

2. Is it very practical? Do you get to write a lot and improve your skills?

3. What are the lectures like? Interesting, boring, mind-boggling?

4. What is your favorite thing about the course?

And lastly, mainly for the graduates, what job opportunities have you had with this degree? Can you only go into journo? And is it possible to do a masters afterwards in Creative Writing or something?

I know it's a lot but I just need to research these kind of things before I decide on a course. Thanks in advance

Nahh you're more than welcome around these parts.

1. No literature as such, we study various things, eg. Law, Politics, News Writing, Social Studies, and many more. You will get a ''recommended reading'' list however, and you are expected to read 1-2 newspapers a day, and keep ''in tune'' with the media world too, from financial news to movie reviews.

2.I'd definitely say it is fairly practical. I mean we have practical classes/workshops where you'll just be writing, and News Writing in particular allows you to hone your style and skill.

3.I won't lie to you about the lectures. For the most part they are excellent (in my eyes anyway) and give you a really wide-ranging knowledge. They can be a bit intimidating due to their being so utterly different from school classes though. I must mention, however, one lecture in particular is like a slow death. You'll have to wait and discover which one!

4.My favourite thing about the course is that it's so broad, a lot more broad than I would have initially thought. Also the class is fairly small in comparison with some of the other courses, and best of all, I don't have to do maths. Ever again.

Hope I've helped anyway, if you've any more questions don't hesitate to PM me!

jdivision · 10-10-2008 06:59PM

skateing dragon wrote: »

And lastly, mainly for the graduates, what job opportunities have you had with this degree? Can you only go into journo? And is it possible to do a masters afterwards in Creative Writing or something?

First of all you really need to know that creative writing and journalism having nothing in common. Nobody cares about flowery prose, you're a hack if you're doing journalism. Forget about being a wordsmith, those who go into the course thinking it's like that end up working elsewhere.
Most graduates end up as journalists, working across a variety of fields and eventually becoming editors. Others are sub editors. Some go into PR. Others have ended up as radio and TV presenters, producers, technicians, researchers. Some go into completely different fields like teaching, dental receptionist and librarian in cases I know.

Jannah · 10-10-2008 08:31PM

jdivision wrote: »

it's stupid having your work experience in year 3 and then having to tell an employer who might want to keep you that you have to go back to college for a year.

I've always thought that!! It's so weird, and it's done in practically every college- and makes no sense whatsoever!! Ahh, but the sounds of it I'll probably end up doing law at home (yep, I know... *clings to mother's apron strings*) and maybe journalism after. My careers woman said that the main problem with journalists these days are that they're going out looking for jobs when they're too young and inexperienced and said it's handy to have a second degree / postgrad and whatnot.

Thank yer for the advice!

Diarmsquid · 11-10-2008 11:14PM

Hi from the Communications thread,

Who's up for a BIG school of Communications night out next Thursday? Journalism, Communications and Multimedia?

Just throwing it out there. Us CS1ers are heading out anyway.
Should be good craic.

thusspakeblixa · 12-10-2008 10:01AM

Diarmsquid wrote: »

Hi from the Communications thread,

Who's up for a BIG school of Communications night out next Thursday? Journalism, Communications and Multimedia?

Just throwing it out there. Us CS1ers are heading out anyway.
Should be good craic.

Yeah, ''Thursday night is journo night'' anyway
I don't really mind, where the hell would we go with 200-ish people?

Diarmsquid · 12-10-2008 12:59PM

I've sent an email out to a load of City Centre clubs looking to be on the guestlist or what not. I'll let you know if there's any good replies.

Last time with Communications, we got a free drink each, so we'll see what turns up.

thusspakeblixa · 12-10-2008 01:02PM

Diarmsquid wrote: »

I've sent an email out to a load of City Centre clubs looking to be on the guestlist or what not. I'll let you know if there's any good replies.

Last time with Communications, we got a free drink each, so we'll see what turns up.

I amn't class rep. though...
Not my place to decide!
Talk to Niall 1, he's around here somewhere...

monument · 12-10-2008 06:19PM

thusspakeblixa wrote: »

Yeah, ''Thursday night is journo night'' anyway

If half the class were even to make it out

:pac:

My 2 cent: We're trying to get the journalism students out on Thursdays. And as some of us hardly (or don't at all) know each other yet, joining a bigger group doesn't make sense. So, we're better sticking to ourselves at least for now.

thusspakeblixa · 12-10-2008 09:47PM

monument wrote: »

If half the class were even to make it out :pac:

Hey!
I'll have you know I was recovering!

Rosita · 14-10-2008 09:18AM

skateing dragon wrote: »

And lastly, mainly for the graduates, what job opportunities have you had with this degree? Can you only go into journo? And is it possible to do a masters afterwards in Creative Writing or something?

I know it's a lot but I just need to research these kind of things before I decide on a course. Thanks in advance

I would agree largely with other replies on this one.

I studied the MA, not the BA incidentally, but the same comments apply. While there are many spoiled novelists in journalism, it is quite possible that you could end up working in an area of journalism where you are not writing at all.

And if you have a tendency to be wordy, you will find some of the discipline of journalism frustrating.

Having studied for a Master's and worked in a national newspaper, I am very much in agreement with the British journalist Nicholas Tomalin who said "the only qualities essential for real success in journalism are ratlike cunning, a plausible manner, and a little literary ability."

I did not study for a BA Journalism, but I would always be wary of the flexibility of the course at the end if you decide that journalism is not for you. It tends to chunnel you down one route and of course if it works out great but if it doesn't, you'd wonder about the objective value of the qualification.

There is also a problem now that so many journalism graduates are being churned out year by year that newspapers don't have to bother giving staff jobs anymore since there are so many freelancers available, and that has career implications.

That's not to put you off, just to raise some of the downsides.

Journalism

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