J-school: Worth it?

As long as we're talking personal anecdotes:

I have found that more often than not, those who proudly avoid journalism classes while working on the paper/TV station, etc. also have little grasp of things like basic ethics and such. Of course, there are some journalism majors who lack same, so there ya go.

Also: I know I no longer need to say it in these threads, but just because it feeds my ego to say something on these boards that actually sounds wise: No, you do not need a degree to become a journalist, even if more and more, some jobs will throw that in as a requirement just to thin the herd of applicants. But you should earn a college degree in something - even if at this point it means going back in some way, either online or in the classroom - because you'll want to have it for the day the Newspaper Grim Reaper (Dean Singleton?) comes for you.

That all said, I wish I could say the pieces of paper on my wall gave me any sense of security.

 

The reason to avoid J-school is there are NO JOBS. The business is dead; stay away kids.

 

Get off your high horse...I find it hard to believe you needed a journalism professor to teach you right from wrong. I guess I was blessed with simple common sense and an ability to know what I, as a journalist, should and should not do. Yeah, glad your j-school profs shared the secret of basic ethics with you. It's a challenging concept I hear.

 

Journalism ethics are not all common sense. Some of them you have to have explained, I think.

 

I agree to a point, but I think it is naive to think journalism school is the only place you can find these. In fact, I think a strong, patient editor who is willing to work with a young writer is 100x more beneficial and educational than four years of j-school. Also, with the state of media today and it's left-leaning bias I think j-school is very much a large part of this...and you want to trust it with guiding the ethical development of these neophyte reporters? That's pretty funny.

 

Ehlo swatted that shit into Row Q

 

There's a massive difference between garden-variety ethics and journalism ethics and it's hard as hell to explain to someone who hasn't been there.

 

And the truth comes out.

Yes, it has been remarkable the way the media has ignored the Blagojevich scandal the last week, merely because he's a Democrat. Simply remarkable.

 

Exactly...it's laughable to suggest we should depend on j-school professors for ethical guidance. Can you imagine if this were McCain or, God forbid, Palin?

 

Piotr...Nance has admitted he should have rotated up...Ehlo did everything he could.