Communications majors who graduate in Georgia will discover that the state is one of the liveliest places in the South to pursue a media career. The Peach State is home to broadcast media giants CNN and Cox Communications, as well as several Pulitzer Prize-winning newspapers, and a historic literary tradition that gave birth to some of the nation’s most famous books. While Atlanta is likely to provide the most opportunities, communications majors also likely to find media work in other big cities that combine the well-known Southern charm with 21st century business savy– such as Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Savannah, Athens, Macon, and Albany.
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, creative writing 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
Georgia is an excellent place to pursue a broadcasting career. In addition to CNN’s headquarters, the Atlanta area home to Cox Communications, the nation’s third-largest cable-television provider. (Cox also employs communications graduates in its newspaper publishing and television and radio broadcasting divisions; the company has revenues of about $10 billion each year.) The state is also the 9th largest radio market, according to Arbitron, and boasts 288 FM stations, according to the FCC. WSB AM, the flagship station of Cox Radio, was the first station to broadcast in the South. Overall, the state employment department forecasts a healthy 12.3% rise in Radio Announcers between 2008 and 2018, as well as a 10.7% rise in Broadcast News Analysts during the same period. The state is also home to the Peabody awards, broadcast journalism’s highest honor.
Resources and Professional Associations for TV and Radio Broadcasting:
Journalism
The Georgia Department of labor projects a 10.5% rise in the number of jobs for journalists between 2008 and 2018, a surprisingly robust figure compared to many areas of the country. That statistic likely includes both print and broadcast journalism, and is helped by Georgia’s strength in the broadcast arena. But Georgia’s no slacker it comes to print journalism: the state is home to 34 daily newspapers, according to the US Census Bureau, including several Pulitzer-Prize-winning papers — the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Macon Telegraph among them. The Journal-Constitution has one of the highest daily circulations of any newspaper in the Southeast, and one of the highest Sunday circulations in the nation.
Local Newspapers, Magazines, and Guides:
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- Atlanta Business Chronicle
- The Albany Herald
- Bright Side
- Creative Loafing Atlanta
- Georgia Bulletin
- Mundo Hispanico Atlanta
- Augusta Chronicle
- Atlanta Inquirer
- Augusta Chronicle
- DeKalb Neighbor
- Georgia Informer
- East Cobb Neighbor
- Georgia Trends
Journalism Associations:
- Georgia Press Association
- Georgia Scholastic Press Association
- Atlanta Press Club
- Southern Newspaper Publishers Association
Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations
Public relations careers are likely to be an attractive choice for communications majors in Georgia. The state Department of Labor projects that jobs for Public Relations Managers will grow 22.6% between 2008 and 2018, while jobs for Public Relations Specialists will grow 23.8% in the same period. Meanwhile, jobs for Advertising and Promotions Managers are forecast to grow 10.5%. Like many other states, Georgia has seen more growth in public relations than advertising, but training in both areas is likely to be applicable to a number of careers in the military, government, and retail sectors, as well as corporate communications.
PR and Advertising Firms:
- M3 Agency
- JWT Atlanta
- BBDO Atlanta
- Cohn, Overstreet & Parrish
- Manning, Selvage & Lee
- The Ad Shop
- Bright Ideas Group
- Davis Advertising Inc.
- Freebairn & Company
- The Hauser Group
- Longwater Advertising
- MLT Creative
- Nolen & Associates
- T.G. Madison Inc.
- William Mills Agency
Professional Association for Advertising and Public Relations:
Print Publishing
Known for writers such as Flannery O’Connor, Alice Walker, and Margaret Mitchell, Georgia has one of the most distinctive literary traditions in the South — if not the entire nation. Fortunately, that tradition looks to stay strong. For one thing, the state continues to be home to a number of well-respected literary journals, such as The Georgia Review and the Southern Poetry Review. The Georgia Department of Labor projects a rise of 18.4% in the number of jobs for editors between 2008 and 2018, as well as a 20% rise in the number of jobs for writers and authors. Of course, editors are needed not just for print materials, but increasingly for web and mobile-based communications. The rise in opportunities for authors also means that a freelance writing career could be a good option for communications grads.
Book and Magazine Publishing Companies:
- Pritchett & Hull Associates
- Peachtree Publishers
- Anvil Publishers, Inc.
- BelleBooks
- Brick Road Poetry Press
- Chalice Press
- Gryphonwood Press
- Hundreds of Heads Books & West Hills Press
- Mercer University Press
- Pathfinder Press
- The Saltmarsh Press
- Samhain Publishing
- Sea Lion Books
- Snake Nation Press
- Stroud & Hall Publishers
- Tinwood
- University of Georgia Press
- University Press of North Georgia
Book Publishing and Writing Associations and Resources: