Those who love following a hot lead and putting pen to paper often decide to study journalism, but many of those students find that they increase their chances of future success when they specialize a journalism degree in business. While this doesn’t mean that you’ll graduate school with two degrees, it does mean that you’ll graduate with a deeper understanding of the business world than your peers. The way in which you specialize your degree often depends on the college you attend.
What Do Journalists Do?
Journalists once chased leads, recorded notes with pen and paper and later gathered their thoughts on a computer. As technology changed, so too did the journalism field. Writers now spend long hours working on a computer and finding proof of their stories online and from other sources. They may work for newspapers, magazines, websites or television stations. They must ensure that every story and article they write is completely truthful and that they have evidence on hand that proves everything they stated.
Why Specialize a Degree?
According to Jenna Goudreau of Forbes recommends that students today double major in journalism and another subject or at least choose a concentration in another field. Goudreau points out that those who succeed in journalism are those who have a deep understanding of a specific topic and can market themselves as a specialty writer. When you specialize a journalism degree in business, you understand the whys and hows of the business world. You can look at trends to make predictions for the future, ask the right questions when interviewing a working professional and know what to look at when a big story breaks. Specializing your degree puts you ahead of the pack.
Future Outlook
The future outlook for journalists is lower than you might think. Hundreds of magazines and newspapers shut down or switched to online only reporting. Those companies had a hard time remaining afloat as subscription rates dropped and readers started looking for information online with their phones, tablets and computers. If you want to succeed as a journalist, you must have a good understanding of how to write for the web. This usually means writing shorter sentences, using smaller words and creating compelling headlines that grab the attention of readers instantly.
How to Specialize a Degree
If you want to specialize a journalism degree in business, you need to talk with the adviser at your school. Many colleges recommend that students pick a minor or concentration, and some colleges even require that students select a minor. You’ll generally take five or more courses in business to complete your minor, but some schools only require that students take three classes in the minor subject. You may have the chance to take more courses on all aspects of business, including operations, human resources and management. Depending on the school you choose, you might write business articles for the school paper and/or have the chance to complete a business internship before you graduate.
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Journalism is a competitive field, and as the number of available jobs drops, the competition grows even more fierce. When you specialize your journalism degree, you set yourself apart from others applying for the same jobs and show your strengths. If you specialize a journalism degree in business, you can stay on top of breaking business news every day of the week.