Q: I have a very strong desire to break into international news reporting. I am considering studying journalism in the Chinese language at a major Chinese university. I am 46 years old, graduated with honors from engineering school, have an MBA in international business and several years working experience in China (using all Chinese language). I am also an excellent writer.
Is it advisable to study journalism in China (in the Chinese language), or should I study in the United States instead? (I am trying to develop a strategy for getting into this field at the advanced age of 46.)
Wally
I’m a bit confused, but will try to help, Wally. I take it your interest is in working in China and writing in Chinese, at least for now.
If you want a journalism degree, I would key on the best journalism education you can get, recognizing that journalism is quite different in China than it is in the United States. You may find that a journalism degree from a Chinese university is not as transferable to media companies in other countries as you would hope.
It is likely that you don’t need a J-degree at all, given that you have been through college a couple times already. What you need, I’d say, is not a degree, but experience. Writing for newspapers as a freelancer or contract employee will get you the experience and clips you need a lot faster and cheaper than a degree will.
If your ultimate desire is to work for a U.S.-based newspaper, your ideal interim position may be for an English-language Chinese publication. You’ll certainly want to be mindful of the fact that U.S. editors will want to have some assurance that the conventions and standards of the paper you initially work for are comparable to their own — or that you understand them.
Good luck!
