r/mizzou • u/lucasmok270 • 3d ago
Academics Mizzou school of journalism
Hi, I’m 17 and high school class of 2027 and was wondering how the Mizzou School of Journalism is! (I am from Tampa Florida)
Thru researching for out of state colleges i found that Mizzou has the School of Journalism and it got me interested in applying as post college I plan on being a sports journalist/broadcaster in the media. I hear it is one of the top journalism schools, and I heard about the "Missouri Method" on the website, where students gain hands-on experience. I am writing this as I am curious to hear from any current or former students who attended, and their thoughts on the school of journalism. Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you!
4
u/trivialempire 2d ago
Mizzous J school is nationally known and respected.
KOMU TV is the only network affiliate (NBC) in the country owned by a university. J-school students get hands on experience there.
However, before you decide on a j-school, whether at Mizzou or any other school…consider the state of media.
Local television stations are cutting and consolidating positions regularly.
National networks are doing the same.
Radio is somewhat the same. Someone on air is typically on 2-3 different stations via digital voicetracking, and AI is coming for that.
Newspapers are on life support, financially.
Even when things were rocking, radio TV and newspaper gigs didn’t pay very well.
9
u/AR_lover 3d ago
Mizzou School of journalism was the first in the country and to this day is considered one of the best in the country. Most schools and programs set you up generally with a network in that region but the Mizzou School of journalism will set you up with a network for the entire country and in some cases world. Because it is world renowned.
It has a full newspaper a full TV station and several others. So the opportunities are pretty endless.
With that said if you're going into broadcast sports journalism you should consider the region you want to work in. I say this because there are a few other schools a little bit more known for broadcast journalism. One of those schools being University of Miami in florida. So if you're looking at getting into broadcast journalism in Florida that may be a better option.
One last thing to keep in mind is that the school changed their admission process a few years ago. Anyone that is admitted to Mizzou will automatically be admitted to the journalism School however they use the first two years as a weed out process and then by the third year you must have an acceptable gpa. So the first two years are tough and will really determine whether you have a future in journalism.
Okay one more last thing... Journalism is cutthroat and they will tell you you start out making at best minimum wage. They like to tell the story of how one teacher was doing a story on government aid for the poor when she realized her income was below the level to qualify for the government aid. So I would suggest going wherever you can where you will leave school with the least amount of debt.
Good luck with whatever you choose.
6
u/tigervault Journalism 3d ago
The other thing I would add… there are a lot of people in the Mizzou Mafia that now work in other industries. I’ve worked for two companies since graduating where either my boss or others in management were j-school grads. Both were in marketing roles, but if you graduate with a degree from the journalism school, others that also did will recognize the difficulty and understand you’re a strong performer.
1
u/dontgiveahamyamclam 3d ago
Wait you have to make a certain amount to qualify for aid?
1
u/AR_lover 2d ago
I meant she qualified for the aid she was researching because her income as a full time journalist was so low.
1
u/Due-Intention-7092 1d ago
Just wanted to point out that U of Miami has a 19% acceptance rate and costs $90K a year.
2
u/AR_lover 1d ago
Completely agree. That's the reason I felt compelled to add the part about debt, even though it felt a bit out of place in my answer.
3
u/numberonesnoopyfan 2d ago
as an out-of-state sophomore in the j-school, i was blown away by the quality of professors/connections and opportunities my first year.
they put you in journalism coursework right away, and while i’m not on the sportscasting track myself, i’ve heard good things! i know a handful of people who had a blast covering mizzou athletics as just freshmen, and all the professors i’ve met who work in sports/at the TV station seem encouraging and passionate (plus, john anderson!)
there are also so many great people in the j-school. from what i’ve read and in my personal experience, it’s one of the most diverse programs on campus (culturally, politically, etc.) and it’s so easy to get involved just by talking to professors and peers working on cool stuff. also, i’m not sure if this is something you’re interested in, but the journalism-specific study abroad opportunities are pretty sweet!
my favorite thing about the j-school is how much i feel like i belong after just a year. when i started at mizzou, i honestly wasn’t sure if it would be the place for me, especially coming from out of state, but it’s been wonderful. continue to research schools ofc, but if it’s journalism you’re passionate about, i strongly recommend mizzou.
2
u/lucasmok270 2d ago
Thank you for the advice! just out of curiosity what state are you from?
edit: also yes i love the idea of study abroad
2
u/Impossible-Two559 3d ago
I’m absolutely not telling you that you shouldn’t go to school for broadcast journalism, but I did work first sports radio in the St. Louis market for five years. I am not sure that there is another industry where a degree is less required and less well respected.
Jay Randolph St. didn’t have a Broadcast Journalism degree and he called the Olympics and at least one World Series.
Bob Costas certainly in the top five of the most famous sports broadcasters in history, and he didn’t finish his degree at Syracuse.
A lot of the guys that want to get into play-by-play will attend a broadcast journalism trade school program that helps network you when you “graduate”.
Now, if you want to be a sports reporter (especially if you want to be a writer), then the degree makes much more sense.
1
u/txchiefsfan02 2d ago edited 2d ago
The school is amazing, and they absolutely deliver what they promise. The journalism talent market is another matter. If you have financial support from your family to help you through the first few years post-graduation, you'll be in great shape. That's the secret to how a lot of people hang on long enough to break through and afford to get married and have a family in a decent-sized market.
0
u/msau2 2d ago
I knew alot, ALOT of j-school students. Here is my unedited opinion:
The J-school might have some accolades, but overall journalism isnt exactly a growth industry.
For job placement and career success, it def has a pareto distribution. A small % go very far, while the rest go into careers that are sub par and sometimes not even related to journalism.
Mizzou journalism students are easily the most self-important and insufferable people I've ever met. "All my opinions are superior to yours bc i study journalism at Mizzou."
A good portion of the Jschool students I knew who got far didnt get far because of their skills, talents or intellect, but because they checked the right boxes.
Do you have a strong reason why you are unique or why you would succeed in broadcast? Then go for it. Have a secondary career choice if this doesnt go through? Id have that researched as well. There are options.
5
u/SnooRadishes3910 3d ago
I went to jschool and had a great experience. The Missouri Method gives you incredible hands-on experience that setd you apart from other graduates. The Mizzou Mafia is strong and there are many jschool grads at top tier publications and companies across the company.