Hey - I am a journalist (photo) and have been for about 10 years. Mostly freelance. The trade is not dying but it is changing (it always is - journalists are the most consistent doomsayers it's insane) and it is not accommodating if you want a normal life later on. In my 20's it was awesome because I didn't need shit to live on and it is a different experience every day. It's different now that Im a bit older and unfortunately working for the best publications in the US and UK - many of whom I've done assignments for - is just not worth it from a business/lifestyle/hassle perspective. In general, they pay magnitudes less for magnitudes more work than other types of (non journalism or fluff journalism) clients

I would say fuck paying for more communications education, go get internships and real experience. That is what gets you work. Your degree is basically immaterial and your advanced degree will also be if you don't have a solid body of actual work to show with it. Many of the best journalists do not have formal journalism training, and many of the most educated journalists I know are swimming in debt from prestigious one or two year grad programs where that master's degree maybe made them competitive enough for a 28k/yr reporter job at some small, dying paper in the middle of nowhere. Unless you get a full ride a graduate education in journalism is a very hard thing to justify in my opinion.

And yea, I hear you on social media. I hate it, but I have also gotten jobs through it. However, I'm now at a point where I make the rules and if the client doesn't want to play by them we won't work together, no harm no foul. I've deleted most of my accounts and only use Instagram personally, not for professional work. My portfolio is my portfolio and that's what my professional presentation is - a smattering of link and social media "content" it is not and I won't let it be:

You mention the "bad side of the media" - there is no "media" - there are only people in it who represent a very large set of ideas - personally, when it comes to journalism if you can write I think you are one of the people saving it for the most part. The "media" that most people tend to think of is primarily tv based talking head personalities who discuss issues with no nuance and never reach conclusions. You can't argue with a reporter's article in real time so you need to digest it and think about why it makes you uncomfortable. Anything that provokes critical thought is an absolute necessity in these times. Yea, It's a weird industry, but it needs anyone with a real curiosity and a backbone on its side. I'm phasing out, because I want a normal life but I will still always take a call on an important story if it's something I can squeeze in while living the life I prefer (daily gym habit, time with my wife and friends etc).

This is a directionless rant I guess, sorry, but your post spurred a mess of opinions in my head and that cocktail I just had was pretty stiff. In conclusion - I hate social media too, but work in journalism. Not everyone has a twitter or IG account. Some people just put out good work through traditional channels.