Careers
Claire Pech – Careers Advisor
The Future of Journalism – Professor Attard – Senior Lecturer at UTS
I attended a talk from Professor Attard recently at a Careers event. Her main message was that “Journalism is NOT dead!! It is alive and kicking…it is bringing down governments, bringing banks to account, explaining the environment… so it is keeping people honest!” Journalism will always remain with us. It is a golden age for young people who want to enter the business. This is probably a different slant from what we usually hear.
Six hundred students are studying pure journalism and 600 students are studying joint Journalism as a major at UTS. Both UTS and Macleay College have the best journalist courses in the country – according to Professor Attard. She feels Journalism is the best job in the world – and has felt this way for the past 40 years. Multimedia journalism is now obviously where journalism is at. The ethos is that these institutions are producing work-ready journalists, so there is a job at the end of the process.
There have been huge job losses – 2,500 job losses alone in print media. All of the newspapers constantly talk about Journalism dying off. The internet has created this fear. Journalists are still here, and public-interest Journalism is still alive and well. Humans need this. Fairfax and Newscorp has clearly dried up, and with attention spans having decreased by 1000% less than they were, the future audience has and is changed. Social media platforms are now where all of the data comes from, and this is where Journalism needs to be.
So, what is happening in Journalism schools….? Catch-up education (tacking on Social Media Journalism onto a standard Journalism courses) has failed. Journalism students must have curiosity – this is not a taught skill. What needs to be taught is how to investigate.
Why are Macleay College students in high demand? Because they are taught properly, and digital learning is embedded throughout the whole degree, not tacked on as a modern ‘add-on’. At UTS, Journalism is embedded into a wider communications degree. Internships are built into both schools.
If you want to secure an informed population, the future of democracy, shining a light in dark corners, Journalism is for you. Cadetships exist, and the media industry is hungry for graduates who are digitally trained. Those who are curious, talented and eager will be the 4 Corners journalists of the future.
Macleay College – Bachelor of Journalism
www.macleay.edu.au/courses/bachelor-of-journalism
UTS – Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) https://www.uac.edu.au/undergraduate/courses/uts/600013.shtml
UNSW Bachelor of Media (Communication and Journalism)
www.uac.edu.au/undergraduate/courses/unsw/422700.shtml
University of Sydney – Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) www.uac.edu.au/undergraduate/courses/usyd/513215.shtml
Charles Sturt University – Bachelor of Journalism
www.uac.edu.au/undergraduate/courses/csu/211237.shtml
Careers Notices, Events, Articles
UNSW
Elite Athletes, Performers and Leaders Program
Submit your application and supporting documentation by Friday, 30 November.
Art & Design Portfolio Entry
Portfolio submissions are now open and will be accepted until 11:59pm, Friday 30 November.
Bachelor of Information Systems Admission Scheme (BISAS)
Applications are now open and will close on Sunday, 18 November.
GAP Year
Whether to take a GAP year or not? This is a great article talking about the power of a GAP year or the power of unstructured time before entering into the workforce. It also touches on student resilience, the importance of working hard in a “crummy” job to save for a big expedition and the skills you learn along the way. Written by a UTS Academic.
(Source: MHSCareers November 2018)