The Wolverine State is home to award-winning newspapers and publishers, as well as one of the largest broadcast markets in the country. Communications majors who graduate in Michigan will also discover strong academic and high-tech sectors, giving them plenty of opportunities to apply their skills. The Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget projects that jobs for Media and Communication Workers will rise nearly 9% between 2008 and 2018, a healthy forecast compared to other states. These opportunities are likely to be concentrated in the state’s bigger cities, such as Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Flint.
Undergraduate Degrees in Communications – Choosing to earn an associate’s or bachelor’s degree with a major in communications will give you the qualifications you need to start a career in mass media and digital communications. Whether you’re interested in journalism and independent filmmaking, or marketing and public relations, the know-how needed to reach people with a targeted message starts with a degree in communications.
Master’s Degrees in Communications – No matter your professional background or undergraduate major, you could earn a master’s in communications to prepare for a career in any number of diverse areas that include journalism, public relations, marketing, digital media and more.
TV and Radio Broadcasting
Detroit is 11th largest television market in the country, according to Nielsen, and the Motor City is served by all the major broadcasting networks. Michigan as a whole is home to more than 200 television stations, according to the Federal Communications Commission. The state also boasts over 250 AM and over 400 FM radio stations, with country music the most popular genre, according to Arbitron. The Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget projects modest growth for broadcasting careers: opportunities for Public Address System and Other Announcers are projected to rise over 3% between 2008 and 2018, while jobs for Broadcast News Analysts are expected to rise more than one percent. That’s better than many other states in the country, where such jobs are experiencing a decline.
Resources and Professional Associations for TV and Radio Broadcasting:
Journalism
More than 45 daily papers and 25 Sunday papers served Michigan as of 2009, according to the United States Census Bureau. The Pulitzer Prize-winning Detroit Free Press is the largest in the state, as well as the third-largest paper owned by the publishers Gannett Company. While jobs for Reporters and Correspondents are declining, innovative online start-ups have emerged, such as the progressive site A2Politico in Ann Arbor and its network of sister sites throughout the state.
Local Newspapers and Guides:
- Alpena News
- Ann Arbor News
- Battle Creek Enquirer
- Bay City Times
- Detroit Free Press
- Detroit News
- Flint Journal
- Grand Rapids Press
- Jackson Citizen Patriot
- Kalamazoo Gazette
- Lansing State Journal
- Macomb Daily
- Marquette Mining Journal
- Monroe Evening News
- Muskegon Chronicle
- Oakland Press
- Saginaw News
- Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
- Traverse City Record-Eagle
Journalism Associations:
- Michigan Press Association
- Society of Professional Journalists — Detroit Pro Chapter
- Michigan Interscholastic Press Association
- National Association of Black Journalists – Region IV
Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations
Public Relations and related industries are projected to be growth areas for Michigan in the years to come. The state’s labor department projects a 9% rise in job opportunities for Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Public Relations, and Sales Managers between 2008 and 2018. Jobs for Marketing Managers are projected to rise almost 8%, and jobs for Public Relations Managers over 9%. In addition to work at traditional marketing and PR firms, communications majors will also find their skills valuable in one of the state’s many high tech and educational businesses.
PR and Advertising Firms:
- Berline Advertising
- Brogan & Partners
- Campbell-Ewald
- Daniel Brian
- Global Hue
- Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
- Jack Morton
- Jankowski Co.
- J.R. Thompson Company
- Know Advertising
- Latcha + Associates
- Leo Burnett
- MSLGROUP Americas
- Weber Shandwick
- Logos Communications, Inc.
- Bassett & Bassett Inc.
- lovio george | communications + design
- Marx Layne & Company
- Lambert, Edwards & Associates
- Eisbrenner Public Relations
- Airfoil Public Relations, Inc.
- Bianchi Public Relations, Inc.
- Zubi
Professional Associations for Advertising and Public Relations Professionals:
- AAF – Great Lakes Bay Region
- AAF – Greater Flint
- AAF – West Michigan
- Adcraft Club of Detroit
- Mid-Michigan Creative Alliance
- Public Relations Society of America – Central Michigan chapter
- Public Relations Society of America — White Pine Chapter
- Public Relations Society of America – Detroit chapter
- Public Relations Society of America – West Michigan chapter
Print Publishing
Michigan is home to respected scholarly publishers such as The University of Michigan Press, as well as smaller presses such as Firebrand Books, an award-winning feminist and lesbian publishing house. The state also nurtures its writing and publishing scene with a year-long calendar of events and festivals, including the Annual Midwest Poets & Writers Conference. While in-house jobs for editors are highly competitive, the state projects a more than 10% rise in jobs for Writers and Authors between 2008 and 2018 – which means an independent writing career could be something for communications majors to consider.
Book and Magazine Publishing Companies:
- The University of Michigan Press
- Michigan State University Press
- Arbutus Press
- Baker Publishing Group
- Elder Signs Press
- Firebrand Books
- New Issues Press
- Subterranean Press
- Wayne State University Press
- Zondervan
Book Publishing and Writing Associations and Resources: