The Student-to-Journalist Pipeline: Attitudes, Motivations, and Expressed Likelihood of Choosing a Journalism Career

Abstract

Credible journalism is a vital component of a successful democracy, but enrollment in journalism programs has been declining for years. We surveyed 288 students in 24 different majors from 14 California State University campuses to predict the likelihood of them pursuing a career in journalism. Using regression analysis, for journalism students, social justice concerns were the best predictor, for other majors, perceptions regarding fairness and accuracy of the media were the best predictors. Educators focusing on the contribution journalism makes to social justice and mitigating skepticism about the media are recommended to increase recruitment and retention of journalism majors.