Market for journalism in Japan?

[Kaitou]

I'm thinking of going for a BJour in university, and am thinking of going to Japan after I have my degree. However, I was just wondering... Does anyone have any idea on job opportunities in Japan for somewith with a Bachelor of Journalism? I know there are a couple English newspapers there, but is there actually any chance of me getting hired by one? ☝

 

[nice gaijin]

That's a good question; I would strongly suggest securing a job before you go over there though. A lot of horror stories out there of gaijin who moved to Japan expecting to find a job waiting for them with no idea about how to go about getting one.

 

[yukio_michael]

I'm not sure what the chances are of you getting a job in journalism in Japan are at this moment..., especially a job that simply offers you a working visa off the bat.

If your degree is simply equivocal to that of a native Japanese persons I'd say, not much chance... Simply due to cultural differences, and the heirarchy of work, and you haven't said if you can speak Japanese fluently (or if at all)... You're 17, so I don't know how much time you've spent with the language. Also, your age... It would probably be a good idea for you to work in journalism in the states first just to see if you like the job, rather than going to another country where the stakes are 10 fold... Japan isn't going anywhere.

One thing that you should know about Journalism in japan is that it is very free of criticism. It's very factual, I don't know what type of journalism you're wanting to do, but it wont be of the Bob Woodward variety, especially as a foreigner.

Secondly, there are only a selection of newspapers in Japan, the majority of them being read are the national newspapers, Asahi Shimbun essentially and others... There looks like a slection of somewhat sparse and varied regional papers, but nothing like the states & Canada.

I have heard of foreigners getting jobs as magazine editors in say an area that they were familiar with, art, fashion, etc etc... This was say, in the 1990s though.

Goodluck.

 

[Mike Cash]

It would seem to me that the wisest thing to do would be to write a letter to an editor at one of the papers, introduce yourself, explain your goals, and ask for his or her advice for a young fellow trying to prepare himself for entering the same field. I think you'll find that you'll get much more useful advice....and gain a contact that might be useful in the future.

 

[JerseyBoy]

I considered the career path in Journalism. After getting a Associate in Applied Science in Journalism in the states, I decided to I need to broaden my skill sets by majoring in communication and minoring in marketing. I did an intern reporter at the local newspaper in small town in New York during the summer break. That was during the second summer in the states. The editor-in-chief at this local newspaper gave me a few assignments with a camera so that I can set up an appointment with the news source, interview him/her, take pictures, and write stories the paper. A few days before I needed to go back to college, the editor-in-chief was kind enough to run a story on me and my internship with this paper and I was on the front page of the weekend edition with my picture on that page. I still have the copy of that paper just for a keeper's sake.

I was interested in pursuing this field; but, as a Japanese citizen studying in USA, I came to the conclusion I would get into immigration headaches when I transition from the college to the work place in USA. Also, the entry salary for reporters is not that attractive and I was told you have to like one of those well known anchormen/women or star editors/reporters/syndicate writers to earn good money. I know many Journalists are in Journalism because of their passion for free press, free speech, and reporting the truths (and occasionally for his/her ego)

I still have my old AP Style Book with paper clips marking the pages for datelines, proper abbreviations for states, and other important styling standards.

If you are serious about pursuing in print or broadcast media, an internship is essential. It is quite different from what you learn in the class and what you see and experience in the actual news room.