Another graduate school question

Seconded. I was not a wise undergrad, didn't spend a lot of time making friends with and networking among the professors. Just thought they had better things to do than help some snot-nosed, wet-behind-the-ears wannabe journalist. Dumb, dumb.

Now that I have looked at grad school, I find that the professors are more than willing to give their time to answer any questions you have and give advice. And as someone looking to go back myself, I know I waffle on the question of whether grad school is the right decision. Taking time off from the career can be a hindrance and likely will be in the short term (tough to go for jobs while trying to perform in graduate school, especially at the cream of the crop you seek to attend).

But in the long run, I think the challenge is worth it, to learn about what's next for journalism. Because newspaper management sure isn't on the cutting edge as much as the best schools are. If you go to the best, you'll gain connections if you play your cards right. And the money will be worth it in the end, even if it hasn't been mentioned that most schools have plenty of ways to finance your education that have nothing to do with loans.

Good luck.

 

What he said. You sound like you need a new game.

You're ignoring a hell of a lot of good research universities. Expand your list a bit, don't be so rigid.

 

Don't need a new game. I don't know where you get that from - I love journalism. I actually have now come to the full realization that I wouldn't be satisfied doing anything else.

But the points about other schools is definitely taken under advisement - I hadn't realized that there were so many other respected J-schools with advanced degrees and instructors with terrific experience and resumes.

 

If you want to reach for the stars...
Go to the John Kennedy School of Govt. at Harvard and study under John Carroll.
Although, at times highfalutin, he's the best damn ethical journalist this generation has seen.

Other than that, go get an MBA.

 

I'm not totally sure I even understand the concept of an MBA.

 

This business most needs imaginative difference makers at top echelon management positions. There's a glut of talent -- more than ever -- distributed at every other level but the top.

 

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

As someone who has considered the MBA route myself - to get myself either into a sports front office somewhere or a newspaper/media company front office, preferably - is it possible for one of us to get into a decent business school from a sports journalism position? Or a reporting position at all, that doesn't include managerial duties? Obviously we all have a lot of responsibility, but I wonder if a good MBA program would guffaw at that if it doesn't include concrete management experience, even with a good GMAT?

 

If you're going to have that attitude, you need to be ready to fight. Fight the fucktards who are wrecking the industry.

Because you'll face a lot of opposition along the way.

 

He's got to go to Missouri, Columbia or Northwestern. Clearly, anything else is charm school.

 

Whatever. Don't be a prick. All I meant was that this business is so hard to crack into to begin with, I thought those were the only grad schools with a reasonable return on investment. If I was wrong, I apologize.

 

It depends what kind of return you want. Do you want to go into media management or strategic communications? I'm saying there are several other programs -- North Carolina, Indiana, Florida, Ohio, Cal among others -- that you might want to investigate. You might even get more bang for your buck. A better bargain, some folks call it. You're going to invest a shit load of money and time into this, you need to play all the angles.

I know someone who got an MA in journalism from North Carolina. Now working PR, now pulling down twice what she would have made on a top beat at a big daily.