Are you a curious person who often sees life through the view of your camera lens? If you are interested in using your camera skills to shoot and edit photographs for newspapers, magazines and online content, you should consider majoring in photojournalism!
Education
According to the College Board, most students who choose to major in photojournalism will pursue a bachelor’s degree over the course of four years. Typical courses for photojournalism majors include design and visual communication, picture editing, mass communication law and visual design for the media. Students should be prepared to use a standard 35mm camera and be able to operate a manual design. Often students are graded not only on their technical work but also on artistic merit and the ability to tell a story through photographs.
What to know before you apply
In order for students to get the most out of their college experience as a photojournalism major, they should look into several aspects of the university program. First, they should find out if the department is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. Second, they should be aware of on-campus newspapers, magazines or websites that they can work on as well as what kind of photo and graphic design software is available. It’s important to look into possible internships that exist in the area as well and often more plentiful opportunities are available in larger cites.
Salary
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of photographers and photojournalists was $36,980 as of May 2010. The top-paying salaries for this trade include work in the motion picture and video industry which averages $76,210 per year and Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing which averages $64,170 per year as of May 2010.
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Laura the Intern
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