By: Courtney Wallen Comm 110 Professor Dutill
Mass Media
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Mass media is one of the many career focuses of communication.
Career in mass media:
Journalism ď‚–
Many titles of journalism:
Editor
Reporters
Photojournalists
Many roles as journalist and different titles‌
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Responsibilities… Editors: These individuals are supervisors over the newspaper, magazine, blog, etc. They decide what makes press and what doesn’t. Editors must make cuts and edits to articles and photos. Reporters: These individuals must collect information and turn the facts and questions into a story. Must be able to cover a very wide area of topics. Photojournalists: These individuals use photos to share their story. They will follow a reporter and capture pictures to tell the story even further.
Desired Skills & Experiences Required…
Education: A Bachelors Degree in either Communication or Journalism. Always using the “journalistic truth” : where a journalist makes sure to verify facts before writing an article or specific piece. Loyal to readers by providing accurate and non-bias information. Independence: coming up with their own work not copying others.
Essential role in Journalism…
In order to be success in the field of journalism an individual must be determined to provide the very best work as possible. As well as loyal to his/her readers, by providing trustworthy information. Finally a love of language is essential for a journalist. By having a wide vocabulary, your work becomes more interesting and compelling to the readers.
“Journalism is storytelling with a purpose...”
Job opportunities ď‚–
TV/Radio
Newspaper/m agazine
Online Media
Interview with Paul Wallen
1. What is the title of your job? “I have dual roles at the Tampa Bay Times in St. Petersburg, Florida. For Bay magazine, a bi-monthly glossy lifestyle publication, my title is Creative Director. My primary role is art directing and designing. But we have a very small staff for Bay magazine, so I do a lot of other things too. I originate content ideas, manage the editorial budget, direct planning, assign stories and photographs, plan and oversee photo shoots and occasionally write stories myself. For Latitudes, the Times' Sunday travel, literature and arts section, I am a Senior Designer. In that role I mostly art direct and design the pages. In addition to all that, I do some music writing on the side -- occasionally for the Times but more often as a freelancer for niche music sites and publications such as Engine 145. In the past I have worked as a reporter, editor and manager at a variety of small and large newspapers, including The Baltimore Sun, San Diego Union-Tribune and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.”
2. What is your favorite thing about your career in journalism? “There have been a lot of great things about my career. I have met so many great people, lived in a variety of wonderful locations across the U.S. and had opportunities to do things I wouldn't have otherwise. But my favorite thing is really just the work itself. I love telling stories and the creative problem solving process that runs through all of my work. Many people think writing and designing are two very different things. But the thought process for me that goes into both is very similar. It's all about identifying the most compelling information and figuring out the most interesting way to present it, whether in words or visuals. I've been doing some version of that for more than 20 years and I still love it. ”
Contact Information: pbwallen@icloud.com
3. What is the biggest challenge of a career in journalism? “I think the biggest challenge is just the economic instability of the print industry, especially newspapers and magazines. There used to be many "destination" employers in the industry, the kind of places that once you got hired you knew you were in a good place for the rest of your career. There's a lot less certainty now. Being good at your job doesn't necessarily keep you secure anymore, more and more people lose their jobs just because of economic factors and companies downsizing, trying to make up for dwindling profits. The other challenging side effect of this is that jobs are getting more demanding and stressful as workers are forced to do more in less time due to smaller staffs.”
4. Where did you attend college? “I came to journalism through a little bit of an untraditional route. I attended the military school for journalism at the Department of Defense Information School and then trained as a military journalist for four years. When my enlistment was up, I got a job as a reporter at a small daily newspaper and that's how I began my career. I had studied graphic arts at York County Vocational-Technical school for three years prior to joining the military, and now much of my work combines those two disciplines.”
Interview Continued… 5. What is the most rewarding part of your job? “I've been very fortunate to work with and learn from some very talented people, so now I feel like the most rewarding part of my job is sharing what I've learned with others. I particularly enjoy coaching and mentoring journalists who are early in their careers and helping them accomplish their goals. I also really enjoy learning in general, so the other rewarding part of my job is that there's
always something new to learn.”
6. Being a communications major focusing on mass media, do you recommend a career in journalism? “I do recommend journalism for anyone who truly enjoys the work. The work is usually fun and always interesting. It's easy to get scared off by the challenges the industry is facing right now. But for someone who is passionate about learning and doing great work, those challenges can be overcome. Still, it's important to go in with your eyes open: There are three pieces of advice I give anyone any student that's serious about going into journalism: 1. Definitely work for your college newspaper, that experience will help you throughout your career. 2. Diversify your skill set as much as possible. Learn print, digital, broadcast, etc. The more things you can do, the more opportunities you will find in journalism. 3. Don't overlook the value of summer internships. They are the best way to see what it will be like to work as a journalist and help you land a good first job.”
Work Cited ď‚– News Manual. "Media Helping Media." Journalism's Roles and Responsibilities. Kiva, 12 July 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. "Principles of Journalism." Pew Research Centers Journalism Project RSS. Pew Research Center, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013 "Journalist Education Requirements and Career Information." Diss. N.d. Education Portal. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.