This research paper examines the job market and salaries for mass media graduates. Research indicates that the number of traditional print journalism jobs and their salaries will continue to decline. Broadcast journalism jobs are rebounding, though the pay is stagnant. The number of advertising, marketing and PR jobs, as well as their salaries, are expected to increase in years to come. The greatest employment potential exists on the Internet, which is already a dominant employer.

1. Employment Challenges & Opportunities for
Mass Communications Graduates
By
Amani Channel, MA
University of West Georgia
College of Mass Communications
Copyright 1/1/13

2. ChannelPage 1
Abstract
Job opportunities for mass communications graduates are making a modest
recovery after the serious decline observed during the height of the Great
Recession from 2007 through 2009. The decline, which resulted from a loss in
advertising and classified revenueand the increasing availability of free
information on the Internet, has left lasting effects on media jobs market.
This paper will use data collected from the University of Georgia’s Annual Survey
of Journalism and Mass Communications Graduates, The Bureau of Labor
Statistics, and other sources to examine the employment challenges and
opportunitiesfor mass communications graduates.
Research indicates thatthe number of traditional print journalism jobs and their
salaries will continue to decline. Broadcast journalism jobs are rebounding,
though the pay is stagnant. The number of advertising, marketing and PR jobs,
as well as their salaries, are expected to increase in years to come. The greatest
employment potential exists on the Internet, which is already a dominant
employer.
This author suggests that any mass communications program that doesn’t
educate students in new media disciplines like blogging, multimedia journalism,
and web design isn’t preparing its graduates for employment success.

3. State of the Job Market
In recent years, specifically during the Great Recession, employment has been
challenging for mass communications graduates. The recession lasted from
2007 through 2009. During that time, 8.8 million jobs were lost, but the job
market is still experiencing ripples from the economic tidal wave (Zuckerman,
2011). The 2011 Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication
Graduates sums it up, “The job market for journalism and mass communication
graduates in recent years has been horrible, and the recovery that is in evidence
from the experiences of the 2011 graduates is only a modest one” (Becker, Vlad,
Kalpen K; 2012 p.9.).
The losses are notable. According to UNITY’s Layoff Tracker Report, at one
point journalism industry jobs were lost at three times the average of jobs to the
general economy monthly. 46,599 journalism jobs were lost between January 1,
2008 and September 15, 2009. During this time, media outlets like theRocky
Mountain News, Albuquerque Tribune, and theSeattle Post-Intelligencerceased
operations. (Stevens, A.; 2009)
Though the job market is making modest improvements, challenges remain. In
general, hiring has picked up slightly, but salaries and benefits are flat for
broadcasters, and the outlook for print reporters is not optimistic.(Becker, Vlad,
Kalpen K; 2012) (Hodierne, 2009).
One bright spot appears to be opportunities that involve the Internet and social
media. More graduates are finding jobs that utilize writing and editingonline, and
educationalinstitutions seem to be doing an adequate job preparing them for
these opportunities. (Becker, Vlad, Kalpen; 2011).
A summary of the job outlook, trends, and salaries for various mass
communications professionals follows.
Newspaper Jobs
There is no doubt that the print journalism industry has seen better years
(Hodierne, 2009). Being a newspaper reporter is ranked among the top 10 worst
jobs (CareerCast, 2012). The industry is littered with tales of layoffs and buyouts
that have recently affected mainstream organizations like Newsweek and the
New York Times (Poynter, 2012).
The declines stem from free and accessible news via the internet and classified
ads which have led to less profits, lower salaries, and in many cases, job cuts
(Grabowicz, P., 2012). While many newspapers have refocused efforts towards
creating digital content, the increasingad revenue generated from online

4. revenuedoes not currently make up for the lossesfrom print revenue (Edmunds,
Gunskin, &Rosentiel; 2012)
College graduates who work for weekly newspapers average $26,000(Becker,
Vlad, Kalpen; 2011). This is in line with industry averages as reported by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics which indicates that on the low end, salaries start at
about $25,000 while on the high end reporters average about $75,000.00 a year.
Additionally newspaper jobs are predicted to drop by 8%. Note: The Bureau for
Labor Statistics groups broadcast and print reporters in the same category.
Broadcast Jobs
The salary range for broadcast news reporters ranges from $16,000 to $200,000,
and the average annual salary is $40,000. 1,131 TV news jobs were added in
2011, which equates to a total of 27,653 full time jobs. That is a gain of 4.3%
staffing positions over the previous year, and the second to highest news staff
average. (Papper, 2012).
The RTDNA/Hofstra University Annual Survey suggests that broadcast TV has
rebounded from The Great Recession. Broadcast TV profitability is nearly 60—
the highest it’s been since 1998.That doesn’t mean that broadcast journalists are
making more money overall. The 2012 TV and Radio News Staffing and
Profitability Survey suggests that income levels are stagnant. Broadcast news
salaries rose 2.0% in 2011, indicating that hiring efforts were focused on young,
less experienced staff. When adjusted for inflation,both radio and TV news
professionals, “lost ground in real wages.” (Papper, 2011b).
Announcers
The Bureau of Labor Statistics groups both radio and TV announcers together.
These jobs range from news, sports, and music presenters, to those who serve
as master of ceremonies (emcees), interviewers, and DJs.
Jobs for radio and TV announcers are expected to grow 7 percent from 2010 to
2020, which isn’t keeping pace with the average for other occupations. Those
who work as public address system and other announcers can expect a 5
percent growth during the same time frame, which again is slow when compared
to other industries. (Bureau of Labor Statistics; 2012b).
Radio
The average and median salaries are up approximately $3,000.00 from 2011.
Radio reporters who work for stations with 50,000 to 250,000 listeners had a
median salary of $30,000 while those who work at stations with fewer than
50,000 listeners made a median salary of $18,500 (Papper; 2012b). Graduates
who found full-time work in radio averaged $27,500 (Becker, Vlad, Kalpen;
2012).

5. Non-journalism Jobs
There was a significant improvement in 2011 job prospects in the
telecommunications field as well as graduates who majored in advertising and
public relations(Becker, Vlad, Kalpen; 2012).
Job opportunities for Public Relations specialists are expected to increase 23
percent from 2010 to 2020, above the pace of other occupations. The median
pay for PR professionals is $57,550 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012c)
Employment is expected to grow 14 percent from 2010 to 2020 for advertising,
marketing, and promotions professionals, which will keep pace with other
occupations. The median salary for advertising and promotions managers is
$83,890, while the median pay for marketing managers is $112,800 (Bureau of
Labor Statistics, 2012d).
Online Reporters
A number of large news outlets have created community news sites that feature
the same type of stories as small-town newspapers. It appears to be more
difficult to track the salaries for those employed at digital news outlets
however. In general, a reporter/editor will maintain a site and post to it
throughout the day. Salaries range from $38,000 to $42,000, while other digital
outlets use the number of hits, page views, or each story written to determine the
compensation (Scott; 2012).
Freelance
There are opportunities for journalists to freelance for news organizations that
have downsized, which enables these operations to maintain their news
coverage. Often times freelancers are seasoned, experienced journalists. In the
1990s, freelance writers earned as much as $1 per word for writing, but the
market has since been flooded with writers, which has affected the pay scale
(Scott, 2012).
Other factors can affect the salaries for professional writers such asthe city
where one lives, and the individual’s reputation. When it comes to copywriting,
there are writers who make $50 an hour and those who command up to $300 an
hour. (FreelanceSwitch, 2012)
Freelance broadcasters and video professionals also can find work from
corporations, news outlets, and other organizations. Camera operators for
example,generally will invest in their own equipment and charge by the day, or
half day. While rates vary depending on the experience, job, client, and
equipment, the rates of freelance director of photography Alex Gazio appear
consistent with freelance rates.A full-day High Definition shoot is $1,400, while a
half-day standard definition shoot is $650.00
(GazioProductions, 2012).

6. Job Outlook for College Graduates
The University of Georgia’s Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass
Communications Graduatesprovides comprehensive analysis into the health of
the media industry and employment opportunities for college graduates(Becker,
Vlad, Kalpen; 2012).
The 2011 surveyreveals a slight increase in full-time employment opportunities
for job seeking mass communications graduates. Full-time employment hit
62.2%, up from 58.2 percent a year earlier for bachelor degree recipients.
54.8 percent of the graduates surveyed found full-time employment, up from 52
percent in the previous year. Salaries also increased slightly, but when adjusted
for inflation, graduates earned less than they did in 2006. 2011 graduates
averaged about $31,000 a year while master’s graduates earned about $40,000.
Salaries aren’t keeping up with inflation, however, and benefits in 2011 were
more inline with 2010.
In general, women were more successful than men as far as finding employment,
however, minorities continue to struggle to find work when compared with non-
minorities. That being said, the gap between the level of employment of minority
and non-minority graduates is lower.
According to Monster, there are numerous employment opportunities that now
exist for journalism graduates that include: book editor, content producer,
copywriter, grant writer, newservice writer, newsletter writer/editor, public
relations specialist, sport information director, and technical writer (Vogt, 2012).
New Opportunities
As far as potential growth areas, the opportunities appear to be on the Internet.
According to Ad Age, one in six people who now work in media are employed by
an internet-media business. It also suggests that more people are working for an
Internet-media business than for cable TV, radio, magazines and broadcast
outlets (Johnson; 2012).
Regarding relevant job skills, the 2011 Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass
Communication Graduates indicates that seven out of 10 bachelor’s degree
recipients said they received sufficient web skills including writing and editing for
the web, using and creating blogs, and using social media professionally. Two-
thirds of graduates found work writing and editing for the web, while one out of
five found jobs building and designing websites. Social networking has also
provided more opportunities, with more than half of the graduates indicating that
social media is a part of their work responsibilities(Becker, Vlad, Kalpern; 2012).
But what kind of jobs are out there? The Center for Sustainable Journalism
offers a list of emerging opportunities that includes: social media strategist,

7. blogger, multimedia reporter, headline optimizer, social media reporter, curator,
and e-book creator to mention a few (Oberst, 2011). Another trend is that
moregraduates are using media technology like a still or video camera, along
with photo editing, or non-linear editing software.
Summary
Though there are challenges for mass communication graduates in general,
there is reason to be hopeful. On one side, print journalism jobs are expected to
continue to decline, and traditional print publications will continue to struggle. On
the other side, broadcast jobs seem to have rebounded though salaries remain
flat, and the outlook for PR, marketing and telecommunications jobs remains
strong. And the Internet is going to continue to grow, disrupt, and innovate.
This is unquestionably an era of great change, which means that academic
institutions have an even greater responsibility to train and equip graduates for
the evolving job landscape.
Regardless of what changes occur in the mass communications job market, the
fundamentals haven’t changed. “All communicators need to understand their
audiences to best craft meaningful messages” (Denny; 2010). Ford (2011)
shares a similar position.
We'll still need professionals to organize the events of the world into
narratives, and our story-craving brains will still need the narrative hooks,
the cold opens, the dramatic climaxes, and that all-important "■" to help us
make sense of the great glut of recent history that is dumped over us
every morning.
In this new media era, it means that graduates need to have a command ofbasic
and diverse skills to meet the demands that that job opportunities may bring.
The bottom line is that academic institutions that aren’t teaching convergence
journalism and new media skills including, blogging, search engine optimization,
web design and app development, for example,aren’t best equipping graduates
for success in the job market.

8. References
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