Journalism...school requirements, getting started now, best places?? HELP!!?

Question

I am going to be a Junior in highschool this year..and I want to major in journalism in college. However, I need some questions answered about the profession and schooling...

What are the usual things you do in college when you are majoring in journalism? Is there a lot of reading involved..and what is the average day in a class for journalism?

What are the biggest paying places for journalism? I love to write, but I want to get payed for it without doing freelance.

Lastly....

How can I get started now? I live in a really small town where I am on the school newspaper staff, but it isn't much. Does anyone know any online internships I could get now?

I will GREATLY appreciate if you can answer one or all of these questions!!!

Answer 1

When you go to college there will be a bunch of classes you take, like news writing, editing, opinion writing, etc...  so don't worry about that, take all the classes needed for your degree and you will be fine.

The average day for any class in journalism varies on what's going on at the campus or it's deadline day. It can get hectic, or seem boring at one point or another (more hectic than anything though).

Now, of course the biggest paying jobs are like editor jobs at a medium to large newspaper. I don't mean to crush anyone's dream here but a lot of kids get their degree and think the New York Times or another large paper is going to hire them right there. Go for a smaller daily paper where you won't be as stressed out.

If you live in a really small town they probably have at least a weekly paper, right? Instead of waiting for an online internship to show up (which seem kind of sketchy to me, I know they exist but the idea to me is weird). Anyway, instead of online, go to your local paper and apply for a job (not as an internship either, you're not in college yet so I wouldn't be labeling this that on any forms). If they say it's an intership, then it in, but otherwise, it's a job and that's good. Because some school newspapers like outside experience. It helps majorly.

Good luck!

If you need anything else answered, just email me. :)