Communications majors who graduate in Missouri will be working in a state with a major cable company, popular radio stations, historic newspapers, and a vibrant public relations scene. In fact, the Missouri Department of Economic Development projects a comfortable 7% rise in job openings for Media and Communication Workers between 2004 and 2014. Communications graduates will find their skills useful not only in traditional media roles, but in corporate communications and other positions in the state’s tourism, science, and service industry. Many of these opportunities are likely to be concentrated in the bustling St. Louis area, as well as Kansas City, Springfield, and Columbia.
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
More than 300 FM and 200 AM radio entertain and inform Missourians, according to the Federal Communications Commission. St. Louis has the highest concentration of radio stations in the state, including at least three devoted to sports. One of the most iconic radio stations in the region is KMOX, which broadcasts from Missouri but at night reaches much of the US east of the Rockies. When it comes to music, country and rock are the most popular genres in much of the state, according to Arbitron.
Missouri is also served by more than 180 television stations, and St. Louis alone has more than a million television households, according to the Television Bureau of Advertising. The city is headquarters for Charter Communications, the fourth-largest cable television operator by revenue in the nation. The Missouri Department of Economic Development projects a modest growth in openings for Broadcast News Analysts — 3% between 2004 and 2014.
Professional Association for TV and Radio Broadcasting:
Missouri Broadcasters Association
Journalism
Forty-two daily newspapers and 22 Sunday papers serve the Show Me State, according to 2009 data from the US Census Bureau. The Pulitzer Prize-winning St. Louis Dispatch is the most widely-read in the state, as well as one of the top papers in the Midwest, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Although jobs for reporters have been declining, a variety of online startups have emerged to offer new opportunities. These include CountyNewsLIVE.com, a hyperlocal news network for rural Missouri that has seen rapid expansion.
Journalism Associations and Resources:
- Missouri Association of Publications
- Missouri Press Association
- United Media Guild (formerly St. Louis Newspaper Guild)
- Gateway Journalism Review
Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations
Advertising and related industries are likely to be attractive options for communications majors in the years to come. The Missouri Department of Economic Development projects that job openings for Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, and Public Relations Managers will rise 6% between 2004 and 2014. Jobs for Marketing Managers are forecast to rise 4%, while jobs for Public Relations Managers will rise almost 9%. Meanwhile, openings for Public Relations Specialists are forecast to grow a healthy 15.5%. Public relations, advertising, and marketing wannabes would be wise to keep abreast of developments in the hot areas of local tourism, wine, and beer – not too tall an order.
PR and Advertising Firms:
- Ramsey MediaWorks
- Callis & Associates
- invyte
- Fleishman-Hillard International Communications
- Weber Shandwick
- Common Ground Public Relations, Inc.Black Twig Communications
- Casey Communications, Inc.
- Drohlich Associates, Inc.
- Elasticity
- Standing PartnershipHughes
- O’Connor & Partners, Inc.
- O’Malley Hansen Communications
- Vandiver Group, Inc.
- Marlin CompanyWeber Shandwick
- Fleishman-Hillard Int’l Communications
Professional Associations for Advertising and Public Relations Professionals:
- Tri-State Advertising and Marketing Professionals
- Public Relations Society of America – Greater Kansas City Chapter
- Public Relations Society of America – Mid-Missouri Chapter
- Public Relations Society of America – Southwest Missouri Chapter
- Public Relations Society of America – St. Louis Chapter
Print Publishing
Missouri has a number of smaller and mid-size publishers devoted to educational topics, children’s books, local history, and more. While jobs for Editors have been declining, the Missouri Department of Economic Development forecast a 6% rise in jobs for Writers and Authors between 2004 and 2014, as well as a nearly 6% rise openings for Technical Writers during the same period. That means communications majors with a love for the written word might do well to polish their freelancing skills.
Book and Magazine Publishing Companies:
- Acorn Books
- Andrews McMeel Publishing
- Aphelion Publications, Inc.
- BkMk Press
- BlueBird Book Publishing
- Burnt District Press/Two Trails Publishing
- Cave Books
- Cave Hollow Press
- Chalice Press
- Cornerstone Press
- Delmar
- Echo Work Publishers
- GreenTower Press
- Helicon Nine Editions
- Landmark Editions, Inc.
- Milliken Publishing Co.
- Moon City Press
- Open Book Publishing
- Purple Sky Publishing
- Rivendell Books
- Snowflake Press
Book Publishing and Writing Associations and Resources: