I hate to sound like a cynic, but let’s follow up with those optimistic J-students in 5 years when they’re crushed by debt. I was lucky to attend USC J-school on a free ride. But if it costs $100-200k in debt? That’s arguably not sensible even pre-crisis. Journalists just don’t make that much money. It’s like going into $100-200k of debt for a liberal arts degree. The economics of that decision are iffy at best. This isn’t an attack on Annenberg or the concept of journalism school per se. It’s part of the broader Higher Education Bubble.
I mean, really. I accumulated that sort of debt from law school — which gets you a professional degree in a high-earning field — and even then, it’s a huge financial hurdle. I can’t imagine having a similar amount of debt in a field where you’re highly unlikely to ever get an especially high-paying job, even if you’re really successful! And again, that’s without considering the crisis in the industry, which may make it difficult to get a steady job AT ALL.
I get that these students think they’re going to build a new model of journalism, and maybe they will, and we certainly need someone to do that — quality journalism is essential to the health of the republic. But helping create a workable, innovative model of journalism is one thing, and making enough money to not spend your entire 20s, 30s and maybe 40s as a slave to unmanageable debt is another thing. When these kids are 32 and making $35k a year at some super-awesome New Media endeavor and can’t even think about buying a house or starting a family, they may rue their youthful idealism.
This is why my brother and I went to a state school. I got out with no debt, he’s accumulating very little. Plus, our school has an honors school with a great reputation, which is pretty good way to get a high quality education for little cash.
As the bubble gets worse and worse, I’d hesitate to recommend an expensive school out of state, or a private school. It’s almost getting to the point where it’s not worth it, no matter how cushy the job. Brendan, would you recommend USC now, at the current price, even for a well paying job? I’m not sure I would, and I would have told people to go to private schools if it made sense not too long ago. Of course, law is an interesting degree in that not too many public schools offer it. Indeed, had I wanted to be a lawyer while living in PA, I’m not sure I could have went to a state school that would have had a law school.
But yes, J-School at USC, at USC prices? This makes NO SENSE whatsoever.
Brendan Loy
Brendan, would you recommend USC now, at the current price, even for a well paying job?
That’s a good question, one that I’m honestly not sure the answer to, and the one that sounds like great fodder for Living Room Times Podcast Episode #4. Next Sunday! Stay tuned! [/blatant plug]
I was lucky to attend USC J-school on a free ride. But if it costs $100-200k in debt? That’s arguably not sensible even pre-crisis. Journalists just don’t make that much money. It’s like going into $100-200k of debt for a liberal arts degree.
Hey, that’s a low blow!
Actually, I didn’t wrack up nearly that much debt for my poli sci degree at USC, but on the flip side, as worthless as I feel a poli sci degree is, I feel a degree in journalism is even more useless. Forget the cost — what is there to study?
Great journalism is a mixture of good writing and familiarity with the subject matter. For the latter point, the problem is, how is a journalism student going to gain the requisite subject matter expertise if he is spending all of his time studying the process part — the how — of journalism and not learning about business, or science, or history and politics? And for the former point, the style of journalism being taught is pretty much inimical to attractive prose and compelling narrative.
Yeah I *get* all the new media stuff, and I give Annenberg credit for inculcating an entrepreneurial spirit among its journalism students. ASC is a perfect laboratory to help invent and remake 21st century journalism in response to indelible technological, societal, and economic forces. Still, I can pretty much guarantee you that your favorite weather writer studied meteorology — not journalism — and your favorite Wall Street beat writer padded his bona fides by working in the financial industry for many years before taking up the pen. This is such a no-duh concept for me, not only was I not shocked to see the newspaper industry die so fast, I have been more surprised that it didn’t happen 10-20 years earlier.
NPR: What’s The Point Of Journalism School, Anyway? (Story focuses on USC Annenberg school.)
As I just tweeted:
I hate to sound like a cynic, but let’s follow up with those optimistic J-students in 5 years when they’re crushed by debt. I was lucky to attend USC J-school on a free ride. But if it costs $100-200k in debt? That’s arguably not sensible even pre-crisis. Journalists just don’t make that much money. It’s like going into $100-200k of debt for a liberal arts degree. The economics of that decision are iffy at best. This isn’t an attack on Annenberg or the concept of journalism school per se. It’s part of the broader Higher Education Bubble.
I mean, really. I accumulated that sort of debt from law school — which gets you a professional degree in a high-earning field — and even then, it’s a huge financial hurdle. I can’t imagine having a similar amount of debt in a field where you’re highly unlikely to ever get an especially high-paying job, even if you’re really successful! And again, that’s without considering the crisis in the industry, which may make it difficult to get a steady job AT ALL.
I get that these students think they’re going to build a new model of journalism, and maybe they will, and we certainly need someone to do that — quality journalism is essential to the health of the republic. But helping create a workable, innovative model of journalism is one thing, and making enough money to not spend your entire 20s, 30s and maybe 40s as a slave to unmanageable debt is another thing. When these kids are 32 and making $35k a year at some super-awesome New Media endeavor and can’t even think about buying a house or starting a family, they may rue their youthful idealism.
This is why my brother and I went to a state school. I got out with no debt, he’s accumulating very little. Plus, our school has an honors school with a great reputation, which is pretty good way to get a high quality education for little cash.
As the bubble gets worse and worse, I’d hesitate to recommend an expensive school out of state, or a private school. It’s almost getting to the point where it’s not worth it, no matter how cushy the job. Brendan, would you recommend USC now, at the current price, even for a well paying job? I’m not sure I would, and I would have told people to go to private schools if it made sense not too long ago. Of course, law is an interesting degree in that not too many public schools offer it. Indeed, had I wanted to be a lawyer while living in PA, I’m not sure I could have went to a state school that would have had a law school.
But yes, J-School at USC, at USC prices? This makes NO SENSE whatsoever.
Brendan, would you recommend USC now, at the current price, even for a well paying job?
That’s a good question, one that I’m honestly not sure the answer to, and the one that sounds like great fodder for Living Room Times Podcast Episode #4. Next Sunday! Stay tuned! [/blatant plug]
Hey, that’s a low blow!
Actually, I didn’t wrack up nearly that much debt for my poli sci degree at USC, but on the flip side, as worthless as I feel a poli sci degree is, I feel a degree in journalism is even more useless. Forget the cost — what is there to study?
Great journalism is a mixture of good writing and familiarity with the subject matter. For the latter point, the problem is, how is a journalism student going to gain the requisite subject matter expertise if he is spending all of his time studying the process part — the how — of journalism and not learning about business, or science, or history and politics? And for the former point, the style of journalism being taught is pretty much inimical to attractive prose and compelling narrative.
Yeah I *get* all the new media stuff, and I give Annenberg credit for inculcating an entrepreneurial spirit among its journalism students. ASC is a perfect laboratory to help invent and remake 21st century journalism in response to indelible technological, societal, and economic forces. Still, I can pretty much guarantee you that your favorite weather writer studied meteorology — not journalism — and your favorite Wall Street beat writer padded his bona fides by working in the financial industry for many years before taking up the pen. This is such a no-duh concept for me, not only was I not shocked to see the newspaper industry die so fast, I have been more surprised that it didn’t happen 10-20 years earlier.