Here’s a link to send on to all the aspiring journalists in your life, especially if they haven’t picked a school yet. Dan Reimold of College Media Matters, sponsored by Associate Collegiate Press, updated his list of top journalism schools for 2013. It’s a broad list of 50 undergraduate programs with a few notable exclusions — Columbia, Georgetown, Stanford, etc. — mainly because their j-schools are graduate programs or they don’t have specific journalism majors.

If you’re looking to major in journalism or know someone in the hunt for the right college now, this is a solid list to start from of accredited institutions with solid programs beyond the few that people typically toss out as “the best.” Obviously, it’s a subjective list, but based on his perceptions and feedback from alums. And from reading the comments on the post, there’s a lot of discussions on who else should have been added and lots of additional ideas and recommendations for those that were included. It’s a good starting place. I know when I was looking for a j-school I started with a list of reasonably close accredited schools and narrowed it down. This list would have been more useful. And I like that he emphasized digital programs and practical experience — as Reimold put it, “It is strongly biased in favor of programs exciting me in the digital journalism realm and in some way aligned with quality campus media and professional publishing opportunities.” — since that’s what will get the grads hired.

Read the full list: 50 Best Journalism Schools and Programs at U.S. Colleges and Universities [Updated for 2013]

Schools are in session across the country, which means a new crop of up-and-coming journalists are getting their start in the fast-paced and exciting world of journalism.

While students can hone their journalism chops through student publications, internships, and freelance work, there’s something to be gained from watching professional journalists work their craft. Twitter is a great way to observe a journalist day in and day out, and Journalism.co.uk recently released a list of 100 suggested Twitter accounts for journalism students to follow.

The site compiled the list (which includes the 10,000 Words Twitter account) by crowd sourcing suggestions from its followers on Twitter, noted Sarah Marshall, the site’s technology editor, in an email interview.

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In the face of newsroom cuts and industry-wide belt-tightening, Richard Prince still thinks it’s a good idea to get a journalism degree. In Mediabistro’s latest So What Do You Do? interview, Prince remembers how j-school connections helped him land a gig at New Jersey’s Star-Ledger and Washington Post.

“Primarily, it gives you a leg up in terms of the contacts that you make,” the man behind the Maynard Institute’s “Journal-isms” column explained. “That’s how I got that first job in New Jersey. I was at the Society of Professional Journalists, they were having an induction ceremony, and the editor of the Star-Ledger came to the ceremony. We struck up a conversation, and that started me on the path to that first job. In fact, that’s also how my next job at the Post came about. They had a reporter call the journalism department at NYU and sort of say, ‘Who do you have?’”

Read the full interview in So What Do You Do, Richard Prince, Columnist for the Maynard Institute?

There’s been much ado about why going to J-school is useless. You can learn to blog and write on the job, they say. The dearth of jobs means you probably won’t be able to cover the cost of those student loans, explain critics. But what about the pros of a formal journalism education?

For one, journalism grads are schooled on the basics of the biz, like handling embargoes, AP style and avoiding libel and slander claims.

“I was definitely in for a rude awakening when I started,” said Anne Urda, an assistant managing editor at Law360 with a master’s in journalism from NYU. “I thought, ‘Hey, I’m a decent writer, I can do this,’ but it really does require a different set of skills and an actual education in the importance of a good lede, asking the right questions of your sources, etc. etc. While you can pick that up along the way in a job, it’s very difficult to find the right mentor or someone who is going to take the time to school you in those fundamentals when you are up against real-world deadlines.”

Read more in Mediabistro’s latest AvantGuild feature, 6 Reasons a Journalism Degree Is Still Necessary, and let us know your thoughts. Was your degree worth it? [subscription required]

Whether you’re a graduating senior or a professional switching careers, you know the debate over the true value of a journalism degree is always ongoing. In mediabistro.com’s So What Do You Do? interview, freelancing heavyweight Lola Ogunnaike settles the score.

“If you studied journalism in undergrad, then I don’t think a graduate school degree in journalism is necessary,” said Ogunnaike, who has penned more than two dozen cover stories for everything from Elle to Rolling Stone. “But if you’re new to the craft, I definitely think some education is required.”

Ogunnaike, who earned her Master’s degree in journalism from NYU, says it’s not crucial to shell out $70,000 or $80,000 to understand the intricacies of the field. “I think people underestimate how difficult journalism is. It’s not just sitting at your computer and spouting off your opinions about Beyoncé’s dress at the Met Gala. There is a structure to it, and I feel like that is sorely lacking in a lot of what’s being passed off as journalism today.”

Read the full interview.