Do you love to be the first one on the scene or the first one in the know? Do you feel a duty to hold politicians and business owners accountable? Are you a stickler for grammar and a lover of punctuation? If the answer to all these questions is “yes,” you may be the perfect candidate for Buffalo State College’s Journalism Program.
Perhaps you have heard that it is difficult to find employment with a journalism degree because “people don’t read the news anymore.” However, this isn’t true. Recent studies have shown that Americans are reading more news than ever before—on tablets, smartphones, computers, and other digital devices. In an age where information is in high demand, journalists are needed to provide rapid, high-quality content that can be accessed at the push of a button.
Morgan Williams-Bryant, ’03, believes the path to success is never straight. A Buffalo native Williams-Bryant had the option of leaving the city when it came time to go to college. She ended up “falling in love” with Buffalo State during her first year and stayed for another three to earn a bachelor’s degree in communication with a concentration in broadcast journalism.
“I always tell students that college is what you make it. Getting involved made my Buffalo State experience was positive and worthwhile,” said Williams-Bryant, who was a resident assistant, an orientation leader, a Nurturing Initiative and Achievement (N.I.A.) mentor for incoming students, and a member of the S.P.i.R.I.T. Gospel Choir and served as hospitality chair and president.
“Americans need to step up and pay attention to the news they’re consuming,” said Annemarie Franczyk, associate professor of journalism. “Examine what sources a story cites and look at conservative and liberal media outlets to get both sides.”
One interesting result of the fake news epidemic is that more of Franczyk’s students are switching from lighter news concentrations such as sports or entertainment to straight news or investigative journalism.
“They see what is happening as an affront to journalism,” she said. “They are entering the field with an energized sense of purpose, of making a difference.”
Buffalo State’s journalism major allows students who enjoy writing the flexibility to tailor a program based on reporting and presentation of news and other journalistic writing through print, broadcast and online media. The program prepares students for careers in which research and interviewing abilities, accurate and objective reporting, legal and ethical insight, and competence in editing are central to professional practice. Following are some of the reasons why Buffalo State’s journalism program is a great choice:
Journalism majors are not only prepared to write and report news; they are also employed in many other communication-related industries, such as marketing, public relations, and advertising. The profile of a successful journalism graduate is a person with a strong writing proficiency and a compelling use of language, good speaking and listening skills, keen ethical insight and legal awareness, and competence in presentation of information whether it’s written or visual. Common careers for journalism majors include:
Buffalo State is proud to offer experiences for students that expand their skills beyond the classroom. Below are a few clubs, programs, and extracurricular opportunities open to journalism majors.
Journalism students have numerous opportunities to intern in the editorial departments of area newspapers, magazines, radio stations, or television newsrooms. Examples of recent internship placements include:
