Journalism/communications pure or combined with English Lit

[Han23]

Hello

You were so helpful before - I’m back!

DS is keen on Cardiff/Swansea to read Journalism/communications but may combine with English Lit. However he enjoys (creative) writing most out of his A Level Eng Lit so is it best to keep it pure or combine with English? He is in two minds about the English.

Also how do Unis view applying to more than one course at one Uni?

many thanks

Unis don't mind the latter at all.

Cardiff (and Sheffield) may be the exception to the rule about not doing journalism degrees as it has such a good reputation. General advice is to keep things broad rather than do a journalism undergrad.

How does he do creative writing in Eng Lit A Level?

Bear in mind journalism isn't creative writing - it's very technical. They learn stuff like shorthand, law, and IT stuff. I know some students who found it dull, and a bit superficial.

Agree with @Piggywaspushed, not sure how he is doing any creative writing for English lit A level.

There is no creative writing in an Eng lit degree as a rule – it is about studying texts and examining them in considerable depth. If that’s your bag (it was certainly DD’s – “these three words in this book suggest xyz but also…”) then great.

Fine to apply for more than one course at the same uni.

YY journalism also has nothing to do with creative writing. I mean the job rather than the journalism degree (which I don’t have as it didn’t exist). Journalism is all about recasting facts in a form that will be interesting, entertaining and engaging to the reader, while being legal and true.

If he wants to do creative writing, there are degrees in it.

If he wants to be a journalist, I would genuinely recommend doing a degree in it – but you need to be very sure you want to do it as it is very career specific. If he is keen, he should be working like mad on his own journalistic projects (blog, book and theatre and gig reviews, write ups of a sport he loves and publish them online or on a local club’s website or on a local newspaper website). If he is not so keen but may be interested, then Eng Lit is good and keeps options open, and can for sure lead to journalism – but see caveat above about what Eng lit involves.

I would at least combine it.

I’d be a bit dubious about doing a journalism degree (I work in the media). Obviously journalist jobs have shrunk dramatically in the last 20 years - so much content is now free - so it’s competitive. The best thing is to have a good academic degree from a good university that shows and interest in the world and an ability to think. If he loves English that’s an option, but depending on what kind of journalism he wants to do, history, politics, a science or an arts subject may be a good option too.

I imagine a journalism / comms BA might work well for a career in PR /comms but check on that.

The post grad journalism course at city university in london has a good rep, and I’m sure a couple more do, but from the many journos I know it’s usually a post grad thing, if at all.

If it’s useful feel free to PM me.

So helpful thank you.
He enjoys writing outside his A Level but also is doing a creative writing element for his coursework.
Further to these comments I’m thinking a combined degree like Eng lit with media or comms, journalism or even PR could be best!

To clarify – I am really not saying everyone or even anyone should do a journalism degree. I struggle to see what people do in them for three years (especially when I meet some of the graduates who seem to know nothing whatever about writing!).

And yes, many many journalists working now do not have one. For the obvious reason that they didn’t exist. Also lots of people who do have one are not working as journalists. Fewer and fewer jobs in that area. So anyone applying for a journalism course needs to be very clear that that is what they want to do. I would never advise it without a good deal of work experience (not just at a newspaper!) so the student is sure.

But (but) I do know people with journalism degrees who have gone on to gain roles on local newspapers, local radio and TV. If it is a decent degree then the contacts you make should help to lead to that. I would interrogate that in depth in relation to each degree.

It comes to this – are you more likely to gain job x as a reporter for a local newspaper group with a journalism degree? Yes. Can you gain that job even without the journalism degree? Yes (harder tho). Which degree will be more narrow in focus? The journalism one. Do you actually want the (poorly paid, high level of work, probably largely remote and unsupported) local newspaper role? If the answer to that is errrm, maybe not, then deffo do the Eng lit or history or politics degree.

What does he want to do in the future OP? And what is he doing towards it now?

Doesn't really matter. I'm a journalist and I did English Lit and Creative Writing at uni followed by an NCTJ (takes 3 months). Most journalists don't actually have journalism degrees - lots of English and History ones.

The journo degree is very helpful to get placements/experience and avoid having to do the legal/ethical education afterwards.

It doesn't really matter what he combines it with and English is still very applicable to the work.

There is no creative writing in Eng Lit though people are right about that. CW is a separate course or combined honours course.

Local newspapers? They have mostly died a death. Take a standard academic degree, find something to write about, then do a masters. So many journalists are highly educated and very bright. Many have contacts. To get to the top you need a lot of intelligence and skill and some luck!

OP are you sure he isn't doing Lang Lit A Level?

Dd (who did Eng lit at uni) says is he deffo doing Eng lit A level- she doubts that there is a creative writing element possible to that coursework. It may vary with different boards tho? She said friends who took Eng lang did some creative writing so could he be doing that or the combined lit/lang? Im only asking as it would be tricky to do lit at uni without the A level. Otoh Eng lang might be a good option?

Lol @Piggywaspushed x post!

He may have opted for the recreative task that AQA offer for one of the NEA pieces. I've had students this year doing poetry and a series of letters. A lot of the marks come from the accompanying commentary but it is a great option for the creative writers in the group.

( Eng Lit A Level, I should have said!)

English lit and politics degree, then a journalism post grad?

In my experience much of a journalism degree doesn't translate across to the actual job - you lean far more by doing it.

As PP said lots of English and history degrees, but also I know of law and biology degrees.
I'd do the combined as it keeps options open. Nothing worse than deciding something isn't for you but being pretty much stuck.

I’m a journalist without a journalism degree - because they didn’t exist. I have a postgrad in journalism.
However, Sheffield and Cardiff are both well-regarded for journalism. If I was him I’d do a combined degree to keep options open. Journalism with politics would be brilliant, but journalism with English would also work well. The most important thing if he wants to be a journalist is to get work experience. He needs to start writing for the student media when he gets there, explore working in local media in the holidays and try to get some national work experience as he goes on. All of this will be great for his CV. He can always do a postgrad/MA in journalism/comms afterwards as well.

Ah, possible AQA B. Never heard of anyone doing that version but you are probably right!

There is a recreative Creative Writing element in the specs of some of the A level Eng Lit syllabuses. It’s writing in response to the style of a particular writer/text rather than making up stories! Personally id go for a broader degree and do postgrad journalism course.

Yes - this. Eduquas also have this element still I think and possibly OCR.

To be honest, a degree in a "tough" humanities subject such as History or full-on English Literature might be a better way into journalism.

Because the main thing he should also be doing is getting involved in writing in any way possible in an extra-curricular sense. He should aim to write A LOT, and write for any student newspaper that will take his stuff. Write for student radio & television, write for student drama groups. And so on...

A PP's suggestion of Politics also good.

So many journalists are highly educated and very bright. Many have contacts. To get to the top you need a lot of intelligence and skill and some luck!

@TizerorFizz oh no, don't say this! DH is looking all smug now. I have just had to remind him that while he got into journalism quite quickly after university, it took him a further 10 years to get into the field he wanted…

Lots of good advice from PP. Can I just add that these days it's a really important additional skill to know your way around software packages such as InDesign and Photoshop, either through experience or a short course. Also how to use a CMS and a basic understanding of how SEO works. A quick glance at a range of job ads will tell you these are often listed under the 'desirable' or even 'required' part of a skillset.

Yes good points about lots of experience and also elements to focus on. A lot of journalism today is concerned with social media, so if you know your way around that you’ve got a great start.

Does he blog op? Or write reviews of music or reports of sport? I belong to a sports club and if someone offered to write up pieces about club members’ success for our website we would snatch their hand off.