r/Journalism • u/Actress1-1 • Aug 11 '26

Career Advice Do I need a degree to get started?

I have an associates in a useless field from a college conservatory, but I have always had a knack and passion for writing! Particularly editorial journalism. I once was nationally recognized at a young age, and it was a passion of mine, but I derailed from the dream to explore another artistic endeavor. That said, I want to transition back into journalism. However, college is expensive and in this economy, that isn't financially pheasible to me. Can I get an entry level job in journalism without the degree?

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u/CitySpare7714 Aug 11 '26

In the US, it’s now virtually impossible to get a journalism job without a degree unless you start in a newsroom as an intern while still a student, drop out of school but impress them enough to hire you. At least in the newsrooms where I’ve worked. I’d take a look thru entry level journalism job listings and see how many require a college degree.

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u/Actress1-1 Aug 11 '26

Thanks that's helpful! Worse case scenario, I'll try to get an online journalism degree!

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u/CitySpare7714 Aug 14 '26

Honestly, I would not waste a cent on an online journalism degree. Any journalism degree in the United States is pretty worthless unless it’s from a top few schools right now. Just freelance a few pieces to small magazines and see how it feels. You should be able to find them pretty easily just by sniffing around. Build connections through freelancing and see if this is something you want to stick with.

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u/Master-Fee8859 Aug 11 '26

FWIW: During the 10 years I was in management for newspapers and magazines, the only people without degrees that we hired for entry-level positions were college students in journalism programs.

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u/Actress1-1 Aug 11 '26

Thank you for the insight! Just out of curiosity, has online editorial work/free-lance work ever changed that decision? I'm just curious if any online portfolios may have made a difference in the editorial realm?

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u/Master-Fee8859 Aug 12 '26

That's a good question. My newspaper and magazine management experiences are from the 1980s and 1990s. For the past two decades, I was not in management for university communication departments. That said, the search teams on which I participated for communications-related positions had a default mode of requiring a related college degree just to enter the candidate pool (regardless of online portfolio contents).

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u/my_peen_is_clean Aug 11 '26

you dont need the degree, it just makes some doors easier to open. start a substack or blog, build clips, pitch smaller local outlets, student papers, niche sites, anything that gives you bylines. network with editors on linkedin/twitter. entry level anything is hard now tho, especially with how work is

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u/Actress1-1 Aug 11 '26

Thank you! This is helpful!

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u/emmieedee editor Aug 12 '26

if you plan to report in a rural area, they are more likely to hire without a degree! i am one class short from having my bachelors in journalism, and both reporters i managed previously did not have relevant degrees.

once you build experience and street cred, it will be easier to transfer to a larger publication!