A Followup Study Of Community College Transfer And University Graduates' Career Advancement, Salaries And Professional Achievement In Journalism

• Main Author: Cox, Timothy C.
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarly Commons 1986
• Subjects: Curricula; Teaching; Journalism; Communication and the arts; Education; Communication; Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Online Access: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/3235; https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4231&context=uop_etds

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the career ladder achievement, length of service in the vocation, salary, career status and professional aspirations of community college transfer (two-plus-two) graduates and university (four-year) graduates from universities and colleges offering academic and professional training in news-editorial journalism. Procedure. California newspapers were randomly selected and 436 surveys were mailed out to the editorial staffs of 36 weekly and 19 daily newspapers. Responses were received from 12 daily newspapers and 31 weekly newspapers. The final survey population was 111 editors and reporters working on daily newspapers and 70 editors and reporters working on weekly newspapers. Each member of the survey population was asked to give academic information and employment and salary history before and after graduation from a college or university. The period of employment was from 1970 to 1984. The survey focused on writing and editing experiences and sought an evaluation of journalism education and professional experiences. Descriptive information and differences between three identified groups (University-Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Community College-Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, and University-Bachelor of Arts in Other Field) were analyzed using Chi Square and analysis of variance. Sources of significance were further analyzed using Scheffe tests of multiple comparisons. Findings and Conclusions. The level of achievement, both personally and professionally, indicates continued post-baccalaureate equality among each of the three groups under study. The sample population worked an average of 6.81 years. Men worked more years in the profession than women; community college women worked the least number of years. Community college journalists tended to change jobs less often; women journalists with degrees in other fields tended to have more jobs. Graduates with degrees in other fields entered the journalism profession later than did those trained in journalism. No differences were found in the career advancement and level of leadership of the three groups. Salaries between the three groups were not significantly different. The average salary per month in 1984 was $1846. Women journalists earned less than men, and community college women earned the least. Recommendations. The central question still to be answered is whether it is an advantage or disadvantage for the person who wishes to become a journalist to begin as a freshman at a four-year university or begin as a freshman in a community college and complete his/her studies at the university. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)