10 Ways To Earn More Than You Can Working At The Columbia Journalism Review
Columbia J-school students got emails last week inviting applications for an assistant editor "fellowship" with the Columbia Journalism Review, a full-time position that pays only $27,000 yearly. Less than working at McDonald's, selling your eggs, or even impregnating cows.
CJR is planning to hire two journalism school graduates. According to one of the emails we received, their duties will consist of "reporting and writing (for the daily Web site and the magazine) to fact-checking and a range of other editorial and administrative tasks." These poorly paid editors will probably spend most of their time covering "news innovation and politics beats."
I compiled the following list of ten higher paying alternatives for any of my fellow students who might actually consider taking this gig.
- McDonalds Assistant Manager: $27,448
- Average Janitor's Salary in NYC: $28,572
- Average NYC Mall Cop: $29,000
- Starbucks Assistant Manager: $29,000
- NYC Subway Token Booth Clerk: $32,156
- Entry-Level NYC Sanitation Worker: $31,200
- McDonalds Store Manager: 37,095 Prolific Egg Donor: $40,000
- NYC Public School Teacher (Bachelor's, No Prior Teaching Experience): $45,530
- Livestock Inseminator: $55,339
There are a lot of other low paying media jobs out there. CJR is far from the only offender, but this is especially egregious because they're affiliated with the Columbia School of Journalism, an institution ostensibly dedicated to preserving and strengthening this profession. It's disturbing that the J-school, which charges a minimum of $45,000 per diploma, places so little value on their own degree. CJR's $27,000 salary is just $6,366 above the poverty line.
After spending eight months at Columbia J-school, my main criticism of this place is that they're not doing enough to ensure their students earn a living wage after graduation. We learn a lot about writing and reporting, but we're also encouraged by the school to blog for free, take possibly illegal unpaid internships, and to apply for jobs that pay absurdly low wages.
Cheap J-school labor has a toxic effect on the already anemic journalism job market, and Columbia isn't the only journalism school that encourages their students to work for nothing. Journalism schools around the country provide free labor to news organizations and direct their students to poorly paying jobs. This helps news executives cut pay and fire reporters.
Ex-newspaper industry executive Alan Mutter coined the phrase "journicide" to describe the "looming, lost generation" of young reporters abandoning the profession due to "vanishing employment opportunities and shrinking freelance compensation." Along with the recession, unethical media industry practices like internships and "permalance" jobs are fueling this trend. J-schools need to fight the media sweatshop mentality. Otherwise, they may have no future.
