Large increase in students in CUNY biz journalism program

Thirty students signed up for the business and economics reporting concentration at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, making the concentration the largest of the five offered at the school.

The number represents a big increase from the 19 business students on track to graduate this December and almost triple the 12 students who chose the program four years ago. It also represents about 30 percent of the class of 2014, said Greg David, director of the business journalism program and the former editor at Crain’s New York.

In part, the students choose the concentration because they believe — or are told — that there are more business journalism jobs than in other areas, that they pay somewhat more and that they provide more opportunity for advancement.

“I picked the CUNY Business program mostly for practical reasons,” said Craig Giammona, a student in the program. “I knew there were jobs in business journalism and that those jobs were in New York. Additionally, I’ve found myself more and more interested in business news as I’ve gotten older.

“I had just returned to the NYC area after spending a few years as a general assignment reporter at a paper in Alaska, and wanted to make sure I could stay in this area, where my family is,” he added.

“Also, surveying the journalism scene, it seemed like business journalism was relatively stable, or at least more so than other areas,” said Giammona. “As long as the economy exists, people will want to know what moving the markets and what companies are doing. I was looking to make a good career move and the business program made the most sense.”

Others decide that the business reporting skills they will learn will be valuable no matter what kind of journalists they become, said David.