By: Nicholas Renard

For KU students about to graduate, many questions are ringing in their heads. Where do I go from here? What have I truly learned? And, perhaps most importantly, were the last four years worth it?

On top of that, journalism students have been hearing for as long as they can remember that jobs journalism jobs are disappearing and fast. It makes sense, too. With everyone and their mothers carrying an advanced smartphone with them nearly 24/7, not to mention recent advances in social media, it seems that anyone can be a journalist these days.

But in reality, journalism students probably shouldn’t fret.

In a study by the University of Georgia’s School of Journalism regarding job placement, evidence showed 81 percent of May 2011 KU J-School graduates found a jobs within six months in the journalism or strategic communication field. That’s a 3 percent increase from the year before.

Good news, right?

Scott Reinardy seems to think so. He’s a KU J-School associate professor and Chair of the News and Information Track with a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. He cited the 81 percent statistic, too, and seems confident that J-School grads have plenty of opportunities.

Data courtesy Rutgers University, May 2012

“We’re in a period of transition,” he says. “Much like the [journalism] industry.”

The industry has changed so much recently that CareerCast.com, an online job-finder and self-marketing forum, ranked newspaper reporter the worst job of 2013, right below lumberjack and dairy farmer.

To confront these changes, Reinardy says the J-School has undergone a myriad of curriculum changes, specifically in the last year, aimed at broadening the skill sets of its graduates. One particular class, a lower-level research and writing lecture/lab combo, has subsequently been divided into three separate classes, each providing a specific area of focus.

Among these changes is a staunch focus on multimedia use and accessibility from the get-go, a novel and ever-evolving facet of modern journalism which most professionals consider invaluable.

“In other schools I’ve been at, they’ve had emphasis areas early – photo, design, print, TV,” he says. “Then when they were juniors and seniors they said ‘Oh, now you’re going to do multimedia.’ Well, that was problematic.”

He says students who began in their respective emphasis areas were less receptive to multimedia later in their careers, a potential hindrance in today’s industry.

But, Reinardy says, by exposing students to multimedia strategies early in their education, upperclassmen gain a solid foundation before focusing on their specific interests. He says students in their latter years can then essentially design their own curriculum, tailored specifically to their career goals.

And after their initial dip in the multimedia spring, Reinardy says the students quickly become the teachers.

“Students oftentimes come with things that we haven’t seen, or they’re more familiar with areas to get information out there than we are,” he says. “And that’s great.”

So, why KU J-School? Can’t skills like multimedia literacy and strong writing be learned on the job?

The issue of whether J-School should consist of a liberal arts education or simply vocational training has been a debate for more than 90 years, Reinardy says. While a liberal arts program may produce more socially rounded grads, vocational-style J-Schools offer more hands-on work and experience in an environment akin to a real newsroom.

Ann Brill, Dean of the KU School of Journalism, says it’s difficult to draw the line.

“I think it’s a combination and that’s what we do,” she says. “According to our accrediting documents, the majority of classes are outside the school.”

Brill says that only 48 credit hours come from inside the J-School itself, while the minimum 72 remaining credit hours are left for students to choose. She encourages students to minor or double major and to explore any interests other than journalism, such as economics, hard sciences or even a foreign language.

“I really was fascinated by anthropology when I was an undergrad,” she says. “I think that’s really another trait of a good journalist is to be curious.”

By combining a liberal arts-style college experience with technical training in writing, communication skills and information analysis, the J-School hopes to turn out grads that are both marketable and well-cultured.

Like Brill, Reinardy is confident that the current J-School curriculum does just that.

“I think we can be stronger in some areas,” he says. “However, I think the majority of what we do is very good.”

And the numbers don’t lie. Remember the 81 percent of KU J-School grads who found jobs in their field within six months? Compare that to the employment statistics of Columbia Journalism School, the oldest J-School in the world. Columbia’s program is more technically geared than KU’s, almost akin to a trade school.

Turns out only 72 percent of their 2011 graduates found jobs.

But what about that other 19 percent of J-School grads who didn’t?

Dylan Derryberry is 22 and graduated from the J-School in December 2012. Today, he works at a Lawrence liquor store and says he’s starting to feel pretty bitter about his college experience.

He says his difficulty in finding a journalism job is most likely a reflection of the narrowing field, but that J-School didn’t necessarily give him the experience he required to be competitive. He also says J-School may have been a waste.

“When I think about what I’ve learned I think about how there never really was much to learn,” he says. “I also don’t think there’s anything I could have learned.”

For Derryberry, even multimedia exposure was superfluous.

“Multimedia use, final cut, camera operation, I learned all of that shit in high school,” he says.

Despite majoring in magazine writing, Derryberry says he will take a job in anything journalism related. He’s having trouble, though, and blames a lack of real-world experience. During his time in college he was forced to work two jobs and never had a chance for an internship. He says he would like to see the J-School push more for internships within the school itself, particularly for students that have jobs and no more hours in the day.

Neither Reinardy nor Brill can predict what the future holds for the field of journalism or the J-School itself. But rest assured, innovation is always paramount and the KU J-School will continue to do what it can to prepare its graduates for any career possibilities.

“We’re here to provide lifelong skills that will take you to a lot of different places,” says Reinardy.