In the early morning hours of any given day, behind the doors of KFYR TV 5 in Bismarck, the High Plains Reader in Fargo, and Creative Marketing Solutions in Mandan, assiduous employees set up equipment for live broadcasts, perform final edits for feature articles, and start developing preliminary planning for community events. In earlier times, many employees may have started fledgling careers as communications majors working through internships with local media providers Z947 radio, KVLY-TV, and Journal Publishing, Inc.
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.
Book Publishing
Technology is continuing to digitize literary culture on an international scale, and North Dakota is feeling its far-reaching effects. By 2008 the publishing community included more than one hundred desktop publishers, as indicated by North Dakota’s Workforce Intelligence Network. Yet, traditional booksellers and publishing houses like the Harvest Publishing Company in Tioga, Ephemera Bound Publishing in Fargo, and Noteworthy Publications in Valley City still continue to make literary waves for readers of all levels and curiosities in the Peace Garden State.
Local Independent Book Stores
- Books on Broadway
- Main Street Books
- Zandbroz Variety
Resources for Publishing majors
Print Journalism
The birth of journalism in North Dakota began in 1864 with the first edition of The Frontier Scout. In the following 150 years the number of newspapers grew from just one to nearly ninety. Today, the majority of North Dakotans reach for the Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, the Bismarck Tribune, or the Grand Forks Herald to plug into the headlining news from the Great Plains and beyond. Printing and publishing powerhouse BHG, Inc., publisher of eleven different weekly newspapers in west central North Dakota, also keeps the presses hot with journalistic insights.
University Papers
- The Spectrum
- The Red and Green
- The Dakota Student
Resource for Journalism majors
North Dakota Newspaper Association
TV and Radio Broadcasting
Those looking to gauge the prowess of student TV broadcasters need look no further than university -sponsored Studio One, receiver of twenty-four awards from such media giants as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Northwest Broadcast News Association and the North Dakota Professional Communicators in 2011. National media moguls, Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media, Inc., still make their mark with radio affiliates throughout the state. Yet, homegrown broadcasters like Lake Region Radio Works lays claim to stations KZZY, KQZZ, KDLR, and KDVL while Radio Fargo-Moorhead heads KRVI, KBVB, KMJO, and WDAY.
Local Broadcasting Companies
- Triad Broadcasting Company
- Prairie Public Broadcasting
- Forum Communications
- Red River Broadcasting
- Reiten Televsion
Resource for Broadcasting majors
North Dakota Broadcasters Association
Public Relations and Marketing
Local businesses often need help effectively communicating with large pools of clients through images, designs, and other creative vehicles. Luckily, PR and marketing firms like North Dakota Public Relations in Stanley exist to flex media muscles for area patrons Annabelle Homes, Target Logistics, and HDR Services. In Jamestown, Red Plum Media’s portfolio includes projects for Devil’s Lake Tourism, the Heritage Center of Jamestown, and Northland Financial. For branding, advertising, online marketing, web development and design in Minot, reps for the North Dakota State Fair, Red Wind Casino, and CBS 7 depend on the inventive minds behind Kranzler Kingsley Public Relations.
Bismarck PR and Marketing Firms
- Odney Advertising
- Jesse Bradley Communications
- Agency MABU
Resource for Public Relations majors