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Which Diploma’s Better?
By Chip Scanlan

After receiving a letter from student at the University of Missouri School of Journalism asking whether the university you graduate from looks better than job experience to employers.

Scanlan answered simply, “A diploma from a prestigious educational institution doesn't guarantee success, in journalism or any other field.”

By this he means there are two ways to approach journalism: formal study and apprenticing.

The article described Scanlan’s journey through J-School and his jobs in comparison to his colleague, Barton Gellmen, a Washington Post reporter, who took the other route.

All in all, both journalists are successful and reached their goals but took different paths.  Scanlan emphasized the story is the most important factor to any journalist.  If the story is well written, then it does not matter where you came from.

“Journalism, as Barton Gellman noted, is a craft,” Scanlan said.  “And that means you should never stop learning, whether it's in the classroom or in the newsroom.”