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| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 239 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 255 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 270 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 775 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 750 | 0.00% |
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $71,579 | $34.41 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $69,151 | $33.25 | +3.0% |
| 2023 | $67,166 | $32.29 | +6.3% |
| 2022 | $63,179 | $30.37 | +11.0% |
| 2021 | $56,922 | $27.37 | --13.5% |
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 7 | 1% |
| 2 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 6 | 1% |
| 3 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 5 | 1% |
| 4 | New York | 19,849,399 | 37 | 0% |
| 5 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 21 | 0% |
| 6 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 19 | 0% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 14 | 0% |
| 8 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 13 | 0% |
| 9 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 12 | 0% |
| 10 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 12 | 0% |
| 11 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 11 | 0% |
| 12 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 8 | 0% |
| 13 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 5 | 0% |
| 14 | Idaho | 1,716,943 | 4 | 0% |
| 15 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 3 | 0% |
| 16 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 2 | 0% |
| 17 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 1 | 0% |
| 18 | Delaware | 961,939 | 1 | 0% |
| 19 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 1 | 0% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 0 | 0% |
The University of Findlay
Western Kentucky University
Georgia State University
Montclair State University
New Mexico State University
Metropolitan State University of Denver
American University
Butler University
University of Oregon
University of Central Missouri
The University of Kansas
Amy Rogan: Many think that journalism is dying when in actuality is evolving. There are so many media sites out there that are not actual journalism and yet, our society needs real journalism now more than ever. Misinformation and disinformation spread so quickly, it contaminates the media landscape. But we need journalists willing to build their reputation and their audience so that trained professional journalists drown out the fiction or infotainment.
Amy Rogan: Journalists do a number of things and no two days look alike. Journalists need to have sound, solid news judgement and know their audience and what their audience needs to know. They pitch stories to their editors, producers, or managers, then they research their story topic, find the appropriate interviews and set those up. Once they complete the interviews and gather all their research they then have to craft a story that captures the readers’ or viewers’ attention and serves the community. Typically, that is just one day of work unless you’re working on a special project. Multimedia skills are in high demand because journalists are on so many platforms these days. You need to know how to write for print, digital, and broadcast. And, if you know how to shoot and edit video as well as write, your name goes to the top of the list.
Amy Rogan: People working in journalism probably most dislike the hours and the pay but it’s truly one of the most rewarding fields to work in. It can be stressful but also exciting and challenging. Whether at the local level or a larger stage, it’s truly a service to your community to provide vital information.
Professor Mac McKerral: Producing quality journalism is not easy. It’s hard work and requires a variety of skills, all of which contribute to quality journalism. The writing, reporting and editing must all be in balance and strong. Anyone can be a journalist these days. But not everyone should. Continue to learn on the job. Find a good mentor/editor and milk that individual for everything he or she can offer. If you want to write about yourself rather than others, seek a different career. Your first job might not be your ideal job, but it will be the ticket to your ideal job. Approach every assignment, regardless of how menial, as if it is the most important story ever. You cannot pick and choose what you want to do well. Anything you report will impact someone. Always remember that. Develop a visceral hate for mistakes. Know what your ethical line in the sand is before you are faced with an ethical conundrum. Understanding where you stand before making ethical decisions will enhance your chances of making the right choice.
Professor Mac McKerral: Fact checking. Ethical use of AI. Getting back to dealing with sources face-to-face. Using literary writing devices to tell great stories.
Helen Cauley Ph.D.: The need for people who can tell accurate, engrossing stories in a variety of media is increasing. That means being able to write concisely, speak with authority and take photos/video/sound that engage an audience. Don’t expect to have a camera crew or editor at your elbow. The more proficient you can be in mastering those tasks, the more valuable you will be.
Montclair State University
Radio, Television, And Digital Communication
Associate Professor Thomas Franklin: In the media industry, making substantial income right from the start can be particularly challenging. However, by cultivating a strong network, seeking guidance from mentors and sources, and securing top internships, you can enhance your prospects of landing a position at a solid media outlet, where earning potential may be greater. I believe strongly in having several side hustles at all times. By maintaining side hustles, it can provide supplementary income and also be a way to nurture your passion if your main gig is not doing it for you. For early career professionals, I advocate prioritizing skill development and pursuing your passions, rather than fixating solely on monetary gain. Instead of focusing on immediate financial rewards, concentrate on gaining valuable experience and recognition for your work. While this may require patience, it ultimately lays a solid foundation for long-term success. In the grand scheme of things, prioritizing experience and long-term growth over immediate financial gain is solid advice when trying to build a sustainable career in the media industry.
Darren Phillips M.A.: First and foremost, I would advise journalists starting out to be curious and to read, read, and read some more. The best storytellers are voracious consumers of information — credible information — and they’re infinitely curious about world events, politics, history, and the like. Knowledge is power. It’s also marketability. Be an expert, or at least know enough about the wider world to be able to bring relevant context and nuance to your work. This requires you to read. For journalism students still in school, this also means taking elective courses in government and economics, geography, and other subjects outside your major that will help you make greater sense of complex topics. Reading and just a life-long commitment to learning are so important.
Darren Phillips M.A.: Maximizing salary potential as a media professional starts with everything I’ve already mentioned. Journalists and even PR and advertising professionals must be extremely well informed on a broad range of topics. This starts with reading and just being a voracious media consumer. This also requires one to think critically, to consume media from disparate sources, to not shy away from contrarian viewpoints, and to work hard and in good faith to synthesize information responsibly. This ties in with maintaining strict allegiance to industry best practices including media ethics. Reputation is everything. Make sure your employers, prospective employers, and clients all understand and appreciate your professional integrity and just your commitment to truth and accuracy. Moreover, embrace change, lean into technological change, and become a bit of a techno geek. Work hard making contacts and building a professional network. Work hard, generally. Hard work goes a long way in any vocation. Beyond that, attend industry conferences, pay close attention to your online presence, curate your social media profiles carefully and put some real time and thought into things like your LinkedIn profile and online portfolio. Lastly, don’t be put off by rejection. Rejection comes with the territory in any competitive career field. Believe in yourself, stay positive, stay open minded, learn all you can, read like crazy, keep grinding, and success will follow eventually.
Alfredo Sanchez ACUE: Embarking on a career in news television broadcasting is a thrilling journey, filled with opportunities and challenges that will push you to grow and excel. The students must develop strong writing skills. I'd appreciate it if you could practice writing scripts for various news stories to hone your skills in delivering information effectively to your audience. They also need to focus on building a diverse demo reel. Showcase your versatility by gaining experience in different areas of broadcasting, such as reporting, anchoring, producing, and editing. And watch the news to stay informed. Stay updated on current events and what is going on in your community. Finally, practice your on-air presence. Practice in front of a camera and ask for feedback from mentors or peers. Work on your delivery, tone, and body language to build confidence and credibility on camera. One last thing, it's crucial to develop a thick skin. Journalism can be a demanding and sometimes stressful field. By developing resilience, you can handle criticism, rejection, and pressure with grace and composure, feeling more prepared for the challenges you may face.
Alfredo Sanchez ACUE: Students will need to become more digital and Social Media savvy. As digital platforms continue to reshape how audiences consume news and information, digital and social media proficiency will be increasingly crucial. However, Multimedia Storytelling must be a cornerstone of our industry. Integrating multimedia elements such as video, audio, graphics, and interactive elements will become more prevalent in broadcast journalism. Professionals who can tell compelling stories using a combination of multimedia formats will be in high demand. I always encourage students to enroll in Data Visualization courses. The ability to extract meaningful insights from data and present them visually engagingly will help broadcasters provide deeper insights and context to their stories. We must remember Mobile Journalism (MoJo). Using your mobile devices to capture, edit, and publish news content will become a standard for journalists. Last but not least, journalists must build meaningful connections with audiences through interactive storytelling, live chats, audience polls, and user-generated content will become increasingly important. Broadcasters who can foster active engagement and dialogue with their audience will be able to cultivate loyal viewership and build community around their content.
American University
Arts, Entertainment, And Media Management
Assistant Amy Eisman: One skill is easy: be flexible. The technology is changing at lightning speed. At the moment, it helps to be strong at data journalism and understanding emergent technology, such as AI. Topic areas of interest include climate coverage, health and education. It also helps to be a great team player; the speed of news means you rarely work alone. Overall, make sure you embrace the basics in the field: accuracy, fairness, transparency, independence and accountability. Be a solid writer and an even better editor and producer. No one can predict what is next for technology. Employers therefore will look for people who uphold the values of the past, are enthusiastic about the present and are curious about the future.
Assistant Amy Eisman: Too many people are reluctant to ask or negotiate salary. An employer will not rescind an offer if you ask; many expect you will. To get the next job, you have to be great at the one you are in. It also is good to keep potential employers in your corner with occasional updates about your successes.
Joseph Valenzano III: Beginning a career must always come with the understanding that your first job is not your career, and it won’t pay you as much as you might think. Maximizing your potential in this scenario depends on many variables, some of which you cannot control. The ones you can control are the quality of your writing samples, having a record of published work in outlets (including the school paper), the clarity of your resume, and the strength of your interview. It also would be helpful to do homework on the market, the employer, and any data on comparisons you can collect. This can help you calibrate your expectations in advance of any offer. One don’t in this process: don’t expect to have a simple 9-5 job; going the extra mile when asked, and even when not asked, can help demonstrate your value to the employer and accelerate the rate of your growth in the industry as well.
Joseph Valenzano III: Entering the field of journalism right now could seem like a daunting task, but if you approach it with the curiosity, tenacity and understanding that led you to the profession you will be successful. Do not be afraid to start at a small paper, magazine, or outlet. Good work breeds new opportunities, and so don’t write for what you think the reputation of the outlet is; rather write the best stories you can for your audience. If you make mistakes—and you will—own them, acknowledge them, fix them if you can, and use them to grow. Above all, do not ever stop writing. The best free throw shooters in basketball practice their craft every day. Writing is your craft, practice it. Finally, read and then read more. Reading makes you a better writer.
Joseph Valenzano III: In the developing field of journalism some classic skills will never cease to be important, but new skills will also become more essential. Writing and the ability to edit your own work will always be crucial to a journalist, as will fact-checking and copyediting. Clean, accurate, engaging writing and the ability to interview and engage with sources and stories will always be the coin of the realm. That said, more and more journalists need to be well versed in multimedia skills and social media. Writing in these formats is different than writing in column spaces for a paper, and so learning how to translate stories to these media is becoming a skill that separates good journalists from great ones. Additionally, video skills such as editing and shooting for short formats is also becoming more important as journalists are often asked to do most, if not all, of the tasks associated with producing a video story.
Damian Radcliffe: The three things I would emphasize are resilience, adaptability and being nice to work with. Resilience matters, because there is constant churn and disruption in many industries, including journalism. Many graduates find it harder to get their start than they realize, those that succeed – and keep succeeding – are resilient. They’re driven. They learn from knockbacks. Those are skills you will need throughout your career.
Damian Radcliffe: Negotiate. Ask for more money. If that’s not forthcoming, can you negotiate a training budget, more PTO, flexible working hours or the ability to WFH a few days a week? Your negotiating position is often at its strongest when you start in a role and not enough people realize that.
Damian Radcliffe: I believe that a lot of core journalistic skills will remain important. That means having a strong news sense, being able to write well, the ability to produce content for multiple platforms and understanding ethics and media law.
University of Central Missouri
Department of Communication
Joe Moore Ph.D.: Work for your student media outlets throughout your career and do at least one internship (preferably a couple with different outlets). Skills are great, but if you don't come out with some experience, you are going to be behind.
The University of Kansas
William Allen White School of Journalism
Steve Rottinghaus: A journalist’s work varies daily because of the wide range of stories they tell. Journalists research, interview sources, gather information, edit and produce content on various media platforms on tight deadlines throughout the day.
Steve Rottinghaus: It is important for a journalist to provide valuable information on current events to community members and hold public officials accountable. News consumption is in high demand.
Steve Rottinghaus: Journalists like creating content that matters to a community and helping community members make decisions based on facts. They enjoy meeting different people and telling their stories. In a 24/7 news cycle, the time commitment can become overwhelming. Working nights, weekends, and holidays are common, especially in smaller news organizations.