Media, Entertainment & Journalism Careers
This broad category includes film, music, print, radio, podcasting and television.
Hands-on experience is crucial in these fields, whether through class projects, independent projects, internships, student clubs, or on- and off-campus jobs. Versatility—writing well and dabbling in editing software, for example—is favored, particularly in entry-level positions.
Hiring timelines vary in these industries, but many big companies have leadership, fellowship, or rotational programs for rising seniors and new graduates. These industries are competitive, so there can be great value in starting your career in a local market or smaller production company and working your way up. Networking is also crucial.
Some schools offer programs in film and journalism, such as Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television, and NYU Tisch’s Graduate Film Program. However, it’s important to note that getting a degree is not necessary to secure a job in the industry. Hands-on experience is a great way to get your foot in the door.
For an insider’s guide to these industries, check out our creative careers playlist on YouTube for interviews with alumni and employers.
Information Gathering
If you are interested in media, entertainment or journalism, you must follow that industry closely. Read trade magazines, like Variety for the entertainment industry; Columbia Journalism Review for the journalism industry; Podcast magazine for the podcasting industry; Radio Ink for the radio industry; and Billboard for the music industry. In entertainment, the popular trade publications (Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline) have regular newsletters and email alerts. For those interested in journalism, NiemanLab, the Tow Center for Digital Journalism and Poynter have daily digests and newsletters. Podcasters can subscribe to the Podnews daily email digest; students interested in music can sign up for Rolling Stone’s digital daily; and those interested in radio can subscribe to Radio Ink’s free daily headlines.
It is also important to track who owns what in media and to understand that the landscape changes quickly due to mergers and acquisitions. For the most up-to-date list, Lauinger Library owns a subscription to Statista. This article discusses the state of play among the big three record labels; this 2023 list displays the largest owners of daily newspapers in the United States; and this list displays the top 100 media companies in the world. Journalism students, you should also follow the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) as “INN expects local outlets providing ‘news of the day’ to make up the majority of nonprofit news by 2025.” Podtrac has a 2024 list of top U.S. podcast publishers and networks, and BIA has a 2023 list of top ten radio owners by revenue. If you are new to these industries, research the types of positions that are available. Vault, available to Georgetown students for free, is a good place to start your search. Additionally, The Video Collective has a page dedicated to job roles in film production; Teal has a page breaking down the hierarchy of journalism job titles; Music Jobs has detailed information on various job titles in the music industry; the Radio Academy has a comprehensive site on job titles in radio and audio; and Castos provides detailed descriptions of the different roles on a podcast team. Company websites, O*NET, and the Occupational Outlook Handbook are also helpful resources.
Select Resources
Entertainment, Journalism, Music, Podcasting & Radio
Vault Guides. Vault publishes helpful industry guides, including:
- Vault Guide to Newspaper and Magazine Jobs
- Vault Guide to Recording Industry Jobs
- Vault Guide to Media and Entertainment Jobs
Journalism
Columbia University Libraries provides links to various journalism organizations and professional associations.
Institute for Nonprofit News strengthens and supports more than 450 independent news organizations in a new kind of news network: nonprofit, nonpartisan and dedicated to public service.
International Journalists’ Network (IJNET): IJNet delivers the latest on global media innovation, news apps and tools, training opportunities and expert advice for professional and emerging journalists worldwide.
The Journalist’s Resource: A project of Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center, The Journalist’s Resource curates, summarizes and contextualizes high-quality research on newsy public policy topics.
The Neiman Foundation houses a dynamic set of initiatives to promote and elevate the standards of journalism and educate and support those poised to make important contributions to its future. They do this through their fellowship programs; their publications, online and in print; and programming that convenes some of the leading thinkers of our time.
Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. They conduct public opinion polling, demographic research, content analysis, and other data-driven social science research. They do not take policy positions.
Poynter: The Poynter Institute is a global nonprofit that strengthens democracy by improving the relevance, ethical practice, and value of journalism.
Pulitzer Center has a bold vision: to be the venue for the world’s most innovative and consequential reporting, with journalism as the key element for mobilizing society through audience engagement strategies.
Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)—SPJ works to inspire and educate current and future journalists through professional development.
Entertainment, Music, Podcasting & Radio
The Anonymous Production Assistant: The TAPA blog was created as a place to freely discuss the life of a production assistant without fear of repercussion or reprisal and as a repository for the accumulated knowledge of many PAs and assistants, with combined decades of experience, in the hopes of instructing future generations of PAs.
Billboard: Billboard is an American magazine that covers the music and entertainment industry.
Deadline: Deadline breaks up-to-the-minute entertainment, Hollywood and media news, with an unfiltered, no-holds-barred analysis of events.
Digital Music News: Digital Music News is the information authority for music industry and technology executives.
Hollywood Reporter: Entertainment trade publication focusing on film, television, and music.
IndieWire: IndieWire covers film, TV, and digital news for passionate fans and industry insiders.
Inside Radio: Inside Radio is the most trusted source for breaking news, ratings, transactions, personnel changes, and special reports in radio.
Music Business Worldwide: Music Business Worldwide (MBW) is the leading information service for the global music industry.
Music Jobs: Music Jobs has a searchable directory of over 16800+ companies in the music industry.
The Podcast Academy: The Podcast Academy is the only professional membership organization uniting podcast creators and industry leaders. With an inclusive approach and diverse leadership, they encourage creativity and award excellence.
Rolling Stone: Rolling Stone is an American monthly magazine that covers music, politics, and popular culture.
Sounds Profitable: Sounds Profitable is a collection of media properties—a newsletter, a podcast, and much more—that covers the business of podcasting.
Variety: Variety covers entertainment news, film reviews, awards, film festivals, box office, and entertainment industry conferences.
Video Collective: The Video Collective provides a career guide to the film industry and a wide range of freelance work and internship opportunities in the film and TV industry.
Making Connections
Attend employer information sessions, industry events—on and off-campus—and connect with the local chapter of popular professional organizations. For students interested in film, Women in Film and Video of Washington, D.C. is dedicated to advancing the career development and achievement of professionals working in all areas of screen-based media and related disciplines.
For students interested in music, GrammyU provides aspiring professionals with the tools and opportunities needed to launch their careers. For students interested in journalism, the Society of Professional Journalists hosts webinars and events and has a comprehensive toolkit for students.
Professional associations host a variety of professional development, educational and networking events. If the membership cost is prohibitive, contact leadership and ask if there are sliding scale prices for students. Volunteering for a conference, educational, or social event is another great way to connect with leaders in the industry.
Develop a LinkedIn profile that communicates your personal and professional brand. Joining groups related to your industry is a great way to meet new people, find mentors, and contacts, and ask them questions. Reach out to alumni through Hoya Gateway and the alumni section of Georgetown’s LinkedIn page. Our website provides helpful guidelines on networking, including tips on building your LinkedIn profile.
Making Connections at Georgetown
Georgetown offers many opportunities for Hoyas to get involved. Check out Georgetown Entertainment and Media Alliance (GEMA) and GEMA’s senior year externship to New York or Los Angeles. Georgetown also offers minors in film and video and journalism, and Lauinger Library offers free courses in media and technology. The Library also has a subscription to LinkedIn Learning, a free resource for learning hard skills like Adobe Premiere Pro.
Joining a school club is another good way to learn more about the industry, develop your skills, and get hands-on experience. Create your own show for WGTB Radio. Make short films and video projects for GUTV. Join one of the many campus newspapers or journals like The Hoya, The Voice, and The Georgetown Journal of International Affairs. You can also participate in a group based on a personal interest and develop your professional skills.
Getting a job on- or off-campus is another excellent way to build skills employers value. Many university departments need student help with photography, filming or podcasting; writing internal and external communication; planning events; managing their social media accounts; and implementing an effective social media strategy. Check out the Student Employment Office for available positions.
Preparing Your Application Materials
To better understand what skills to highlight on your resume, check out internships, fellowships, and entry-level positions in publishing. Employer websites and the job boards listed below are great places to research industry opportunities.
Your resume should be one page, and your cover letter should be thoughtful and concise. See our resume and cover letter guides for more tips and advice.
In the creative industries, you may need a portfolio or “book” of your best work or a website that doubles as your portfolio. You may also need a visual resume, either instead of or as a supplement to your traditional resume. According to Acadium:
“Your LinkedIn profile can serve as your online portfolio. Many employers are familiar with it; some ask for the link to your LinkedIn profile when you apply. And it’s completely free to use.
Not only do you have the ability to write a compelling headline and description, but you can also post samples of your work. The Featured section of your profile is where you can upload PDFs and image files, as well as links to articles, videos, and other web pages that showcase your work.”
For more information, check out:
Choose Your Best Clips to Get That News Job, by NBCU Academy
Building Your Journalist Portfolio: The Ultimate 2024 Guide, by Sam Hindman
6 Tips for Creating a Compelling Film Portfolio, by Format
Writing Portfolio Guide, by clippings.me
Be sure to research the application requirements in your industry. Free virtual tools for designing a portfolio include WIX, Journo Portfolio and clippings.me. YouTube and Vimeo are also great places to showcase your work.
Applying
Internships enable you to gain valuable professional experience before graduation.
If you’re struggling to find a full-time job after graduation you may want to consider a post-graduation internship or fellowship, which is common in these industries, and often leads to full-time employment.
In addition to the following job boards, identify companies where you would like to work and sign up for job alerts on their career page. Some of the largest entertainment companies are Comcast, Walt Disney, Netflix, Sony, Warner Bros Discovery, Paramount Global, Live Nation and Spotify. According to Statista, “The music industry’s ‘Big 3’ of Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music Group, make up most of the music publishing market.” Gannett/Gatehouse, Lee Enterprises, CHNI, Alden Capital and Ogden Newspapers are the top five owners of daily newspapers in the United States. Meanwhile, iHeartMedia tops the list of podcast publishers and radio owners.
Select Job Boards
General
Mediabistro: Explore creative careers in graphic design, copywriting, social media, marketing, communications and video.
Journalism
Corporation for Public Broadcasting: The job board for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). CPB provides universal access to non-commercial, high-quality content and telecommunications services.
Dow Jones News Fund: DJNF pursues its mission by offering acclaimed professional internship programs for college students in data journalism, digital media, business reporting, and news editing plus multimedia training for journalism educators.
IJNET Opportunities: Freelancing and fellowship opportunities from the International Journalists’ Network.
JournalismJobs.com: JournalismJobs.com has journalism job and media job listings for online media, newspapers, TV, radio, magazines, nonprofits, and academia.
Media Job Board: Media Job Board is a job board that was launched by Editor & Publisher in partnership with The Poynter Institute and America’s Newspapers.
National Press Club: Job board for the National Press Club. The National Press Club is a professional and social club for working journalists and communications professionals that has been a Washington institution for more than a century.
Online News Association: Job board for the Online News Association. The Online News Association is a nonprofit membership organization for digital journalists — connecting journalism, technology and innovation.
Report for America: Report for America is a national service program that places emerging journalists in newsrooms nationwide to report on under-covered issues.
40 Journalism Fellowships for Experienced Journalists and Recent Graduates, ProFellow
Entertainment, Music, Podcasting & Radio
AIR: Job board for the Association of Independents in Radio. AIR is a growing talent network of audio industry professionals integral to public media, journalism, podcasting and narrative storytelling.
The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM): Music job board for A2IM. A2IM serves as a voice for a diverse community of over 600 independently owned record labels in the United States.
The Association for Women in Sports Media: Since 1990, AWSM has placed more than 200 female college students interested in sports media careers (sports writing, broadcast production, social media and media relations) in paid summer internships. Each winner receives a $1,000 scholarship, complimentary registration, lodging at AWSM’s annual conference, and a complimentary one-year membership.
Backstage: Backstage is a career platform for performing artists and content creators.
The Dialogue: Job board for The Dialogue. The Dialogue is a diverse music and tech community of creators and industry professionals.
Doors Open: Doors Open is a place for people to connect with companies and projects they believe in, and for independent music companies to find the staff they need to turn ideas into reality.
The Emma Bowen Foundation: The Emma Bowen Foundation (EBF) is a talent pipeline focused on building a more diverse media ecosystem.
EntertainmentCareers.net*: EntertainmentCareers is a career website for the entertainment, broadcast, and digital media industries. *Please note that this site has a subscription fee; however, most opportunities listed can be found on the posting company’s website.
Hollylist: The premier job search resource for jobs and internships in the entertainment industry.
Inside Radio: Your best source for radio and podcasting industry jobs
Mandy: Mandy is a job and career network for the entertainment industry, connecting professionals in film, TV, theater, and commercial production.
Music Business Jobs: Music Business Jobs is the most effective way for the global music industry to find the best candidates for open positions.
Music Jobs: Music Jobs is the number one platform and job board for freelancers and companies working in the music industry in the US.
Podnews Jobs: Job board for Podnews. Podnews is a free daily newsletter that provides news and updates about the podcasting and on-demand audio industry.
ProductionHUB: Job board for ProductionHUB. ProductionHUB is a global network of local crew and vendors that serves the film and video production industry.
Showbiz Jobs: Showbizjobs.com is an online career center designed to assist entertainment /media industry professionals in furthering their careers.
Sounds Profitable Job Board: Opportunities in the podcast industry. Sounds Profitable is a collection of media properties — a newsletter, a podcast, and much more — that covers both strategic and tactical changes to the business of podcasting.
Staff Me Up: Staff Me Up’s mission is to use data to match great people to great production jobs. We give 350,000 people who work in production the power to land their next gig, and our data-driven tools help over 3,000 media companies identify and hire the right person for any position.
T. Howard Foundation: The T. Howard Foundation is dedicated to advancing diversity in the media industry through programs for students, young professionals & companies.
The UTA Job List: The UTA Job List is a weekly document from the United Talent Agency (UTA) that lists assistant-level jobs in Hollywood’s entertainment industry. The list includes a variety of roles, such as internships, executive positions, and management roles. The list was created around 10 years ago to organize the industry’s assistant community and create a network for job information.
Video Collective: The Video Collective has a broad list of social media sites that advertise for positions as well as film charities and film agencies.