WRITER: Mary Sue Kopecko, (706)542-8083 CONTACT: Lee Becker, (706)542-5023, [email protected]
ANNUAL SURVEY SHOWS IMPROVED JOB MARKET FOR JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION GRADUATES
ATHENS, Ga. -- Journalism and mass communication graduates are facing the best job market since 1988, according to the Annual Survey of Journalism and Mass Communication Graduates released by the James. M. Cox Jr. Center for International Mass Communication Training and Research at the University of GeorgiaÃs Grady College of Journalism.
The survey is designed to monitor the employment rates and salaries of graduates of journalism and mass communication programs in the United States. The survey shows that 78.1 percent of bachelorÃs degree recipients reported having at least one job offer upon graduation, and the mean number of job offers was two each. Both numbers are increased from 1996, and are the highest levels of this measure going back to at least 1988. Among masterÃs degree recipients, 83.3 percent reported having at least one job offer on graduation, an increase of 7.5 percentage points over 1996.
The level of full-time employment was higher than it ever has been for both bachelorÃs and masterÃs degree recipients. Likewise, the unemployment rate for journalism and mass communication graduates stands at its lowest level since 1986.
"The job market was quite good," commented Lee Becker, the author of the report and the director of the Cox Center. "In many ways, it was the best weÃve ever seen."
The median salary earned by 1997 bachelorÃs degree recipients with full-time jobs rose $1,500 from $21,500 to $23,000. The median salary for masterÃs degree recipients fell slightly from $28,800 to $28,500, but was still over $5,000 more per year than received by bachelorÃs degree recipients.
The median salaries per job classification for 1997 were as follows:
Daily Newspapers $21,000
Weekly Newspapers $19,600
Radio $20,000
Television $18,700
Advertising $22,000
Public Relations $23,100
The highest paying jobs in mass communication this year are jobs in online and web publishing. Graduates taking jobs in the web publishing field received more than $4,000 per year above the median salary of $23,000.
The full-time employment rate for minority graduates is more than 10 percent below non-minority graduates.
"This differential between minority and non-minority graduates was the most disturbing trend we found this year," Becker said.
On a positive note, the median salary for minority graduates was $23,684 -- $684 more than non-minority graduates.
Three out of four of the graduates surveyed said they would select journalism and mass communication as a major again. However, only one in four wants to remain with their employer throughout their career. Only three out of 10 want to remain in journalism and mass communication permanently.
The 1997 survey was conducted at the University of Georgia. From 1987-1996, the survey was conducted at the School of Journalism at The Ohio State University, where Becker was a professor until he transferred to UGA last year.
More than 2,000 returned surveys were returned from 92 schools drawn to represent the 450 journalism and mass communication programs in the United States. The surveyed students represent the estimated 31,375 bachelorÃs degree recipients and 3,650 masterÃs degree recipients nationwide for the 1996-97 academic year.
For more information or a complete copy of the study, contact Becker at 706/542-5023.
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