By:

Courtney Wallen

Comm 110

Professor Dutill

Mass Media

Mass media is one of the many career

focuses of communication.

Career in mass media:

Journalism

Many titles of journalism:

Editor

Reporters Photojournalists

Many roles as journalist and different titles…

Responsibilities…

Editors: These individuals are supervisors over the newspaper, magazine, blog, etc. They decide what makes press and what doesn’t. Editors must make cuts and edits to articles and photos.

Reporters: These individuals must collect information and turn the facts and questions into a story. Must be able to cover a very wide area of topics.

Photojournalists: These individuals use photos to share their story. They will follow a reporter and capture pictures to tell the story even further.

Education: A Bachelors Degree in either

Communication or Journalism.

Always using the “journalistic truth” : where a

journalist makes sure to verify facts before writing an article or specific piece.

Loyal to readers by providing accurate and non-bias information.

Independence: coming up with their own work not copying others.

Desired Skills & Experiences Required…

In order to be success in the field of journalism an

individual must be determined to provide the very

best work as possible. As well as loyal to his/her readers, by providing trustworthy information.

Finally a love of language is essential for a journalist. By having a wide vocabulary, your work

becomes more interesting and compelling to the readers.

Essential role in Journalism…

“Journalism is storytelling with a purpose...”

Job opportunities

TV/Radio Newspaper/magazine

Online Media

Interview with Paul Wallen

1. What is the title of your job?

“I have dual roles at the Tampa Bay Times in St. Petersburg,

Florida. For Bay magazine, a bi-monthly glossy lifestyle

publication, my title is Creative Director. My primary role is

art directing and designing. But we have a very small staff

for Bay magazine, so I do a lot of other things too. I

originate content ideas, manage the editorial budget, direct

planning, assign stories and photographs, plan and oversee

photo shoots and occasionally write stories myself. For

Latitudes, the Times' Sunday travel, literature and arts

section, I am a Senior Designer. In that role I mostly art

direct and design the pages. In addition to all that, I do some

music writing on the side -- occasionally for the Times but

more often as a freelancer for niche music sites and

publications such as Engine 145. In the past I have worked

as a reporter, editor and manager at a variety of small and

large newspapers, including The Baltimore Sun, San Diego

Union-Tribune and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.”

2. What is your favorite thing

about your career in journalism?

“There have been a lot of great things

about my career. I have met so many great

people, lived in a variety of wonderful

locations across the U.S. and had

opportunities to do things I wouldn't have

otherwise. But my favorite thing is really

just the work itself. I love telling stories

and the creative problem solving process

that runs through all of my work. Many

people think writing and designing are

two very different things. But the thought

process for me that goes into both is very

similar. It's all about identifying the most

compelling information and figuring out

the most interesting way to present it,

whether in words or visuals. I've been

doing some version of that for more than

20 years and I still love it. ”

Contact Information: pbwallen@icloud.com

3. What is the biggest challenge of a career in

journalism?

“I think the biggest challenge is just the economic

instability of the print industry, especially

newspapers and magazines. There used to be

many "destination" employers in the industry, the

kind of places that once you got hired you knew

you were in a good place for the rest of your

career. There's a lot less certainty now. Being

good at your job doesn't necessarily keep you

secure anymore, more and more people lose their

jobs just because of economic factors and

companies downsizing, trying to make up for

dwindling profits. The other challenging side

effect of this is that jobs are getting more

demanding and stressful as workers are forced to

do more in less time due to smaller staffs.”

4. Where did you attend

college?

“I came to journalism through a

little bit of an untraditional

route. I attended the military

school for journalism at the

Department of Defense

Information School and then

trained as a military journalist

for four years.

When my enlistment was up, I

got a job as a reporter at a small

daily newspaper and that's how I

began my career.

I had studied graphic arts at York

County Vocational-Technical

school for three years prior to

joining the military,

and now much of my work

combines those two disciplines.”

5. What is the most

rewarding part of your job?

“I've been very fortunate to

work with and learn from

some very talented people, so

now I feel like the most

rewarding part of my job is

sharing what I've learned with

others. I particularly enjoy

coaching and mentoring

journalists who are early in

their careers and helping them

accomplish their goals. I also

really enjoy learning in

general, so the other rewarding

part of my job is that there's

always something new to

learn.”

Interview Continued…

6. Being a communications major focusing on mass

media, do you recommend a career in journalism?

“I do recommend journalism for anyone who truly

enjoys the work. The work is usually fun and always

interesting. It's easy to get scared off by the challenges

the industry is facing right now. But for someone who is

passionate about learning and doing great work, those

challenges can be overcome. Still, it's important to go in

with your eyes open: There are three pieces of advice I

give anyone any student that's serious about going into

journalism:

1. Definitely work for your college newspaper, that

experience will help you throughout your career.

2. Diversify your skill set as much as possible. Learn

print, digital, broadcast, etc. The more things you can do,

the more opportunities you will find in journalism.

3. Don't overlook the value of summer internships. They

are the best way to see what it will be like to work as a

journalist and help you land a good first job.”

Work Cited

News Manual. "Media Helping Media." Journalism's Roles and Responsibilities. Kiva, 12 July 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. "Principles of Journalism." Pew Research Centers Journalism Project RSS. Pew Research Center, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2013 "Journalist Education Requirements and Career Information." Diss. N.d. Education Portal. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.