Young People Still See Journalism as Viable Option

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(CHICAGO, July 22, 2008) – Journalism and media-related jobs are still an attractive field choice, according to a recent survey of multicultural teens and young adults. But the unstable industry and low pay are top concerns for those who once considered journalism as their career choice.

Funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the survey was conducted this spring of 293 alumni of J Camp, a multicultural journalism training program for high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors to encourage them toward journalism careers. The survey report was released today by the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) just prior to the national convention of UNITY Journalists of Color, held July 23-27 in Chicago.

“It’s inspiring to see so many of our J Camp alumni remain committed to journalism,” said AAJA National President Jeanne Mariani-Belding. “What’s even more heartening is that so many continue to support the public service mission, which is at the heart of good journalism. It reinforces the fact that J Camp and AAJA’s other student programs must continue to remain a key priority. We must continue to encourage and support the next wave of multicultural journalists.”

With nearly a quarter responding to the survey, results showed (with some in more than one category):

Main fields of study:

• 78% journalism, communications, humanities, English literature, writing
• 22% business
• 17% science, engineering
• 10% arts, music
• 7% behavioral sciences
• 3% health

Top reason for choosing journalism as their career (from open-ended answers):

• 32% public service and their interest in people (“to positively change the world”)
• 18% indicated a passion for journalism
• 18% indicated the experiences of journalists (“something new all the time”)
• 14% indicated writing.

Their top reason for not choosing journalism (from open-ended answers):

• 43% low pay and insecure job market (“I want to financially support my parents as soon as I graduate”)
• 21% interests in other fields (law, biochemistry, economics among those named)
• 14% journalism is not a match for their interests (“desire to have more creative freedom”)
• 11% difficulty in breaking into the market
• 11% college conditions (such as their college not offering a journalism major).

J Camp was started in 2001 as a response to the industry’s diversity crisis. The annual program is designed to help assure excellence in the profession for decades to come and to confront the lack of diversity in journalism. The program is highly competitive with admittance sought by top students throughout the country. Almost 97 percent of those who are of college age and responded to the survey are in colleges, including Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, U.C. Berkeley, Duke, Northwestern, and Oxford.

Among the achievements of the J Camp alumni who participated in the survey:

• Awards included a regional Society of Professional Journalists’ Mark of Excellence Award for online reporting, Michigan Broadcasters Association Award for Excellence, Hearst Journalism Award, Al Neuharth Free Spirit Award, Chips Quinn Scholar, Pulliam Fellow, High School Press Association’s Journalist of the Year.
• Scholarships from colleges and news organizations including the National Association of Broadcasters, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences,
• Internships included local, regional and national positions with ABC News, CNN, CosmoGIRL! and InStyle magazines, McClatchy, MTV Networks, The New York Times, Rocky Mountain News, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and the Olympic News Service for coverage of this summer’s 2008 games in Beijing.
• Experiences included covering the Sundance Film Festival for Time Out, membership with the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, student representative to the board of the Denver Press Club, presidential scholar at Hawaii Pacific University.
• Traveling to China, France, Mexico and South Africa for internships and research.
• Many served as editors of their high school and college newspapers.

“I am not afraid of getting any story, which has pushed my career farther than I could ever imagine,” said one respondent, who commented on being exposed to journalism through AAJA’s J Camp.

“The Annie E. Casey Foundation was happy to fund the first survey of J Camp alumni,” said Sue Lin Chong, public affairs manager. “Casey has had a longstanding interest in measuring, evaluating, and building on what works in order to help improve the lives of disadvantaged children and families in the United States. Taking a look at how young people have used the J Camp experience to further their confidence and skills building in the journalism area is very gratifying and exciting.”

Click HERE for a full copy of the survey results.

UNITY and its alliance partners – AAJA, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Native American Journalists Association – issued announcements earlier this year about the concern of media consolidations, layoffs and buyouts affecting the industry’s ability to reflect the diversity of communities across the country.