Journalism as a Public Service: Final reflections on my Professional Communication course

Hey everyone! As this semester is slowly coming to an end, I thought it would be a good moment to look back on what I have learned in my Professional Communication course at LMU Munich. This class was not just about writing a few blog posts. For me, it became a real introduction into the world of journalism and professional media work.

Before coming to Munich, I honestly did not know much about how journalism works behind the scenes. Of course, sometimes I read news and I see media, but I never really thought about the people, the institutions, and the responsibility that stands behind it. This semester changed that a lot.

Through classroom sessions, writing assignments, and especially our field trips, I started to understand journalism more as something that is connected to society. Not just as information, but as a public service that helps people stay informed, think critically, and participate in democracy.

Learning by Writing: Interviews, Reportage, Opinion

One of the main parts of the course was learning different journalistic formats. We didn’t only talk about them in theory, we actually tried them ourselves, which made a big difference.

The first style we worked on was the interview. This was completely new for me, because interviewing is much more than just asking questions. I learned how important it is to listen well and to create a natural conversation, especially in a narrative interview. Writing it afterwards was also interesting, because you have to shape someone’s story in a respectful and readable way.

Later, we focused on reportage and feature writing. For me, this was probably the most difficult assignment. A reportage needs research, details, atmosphere, and not only personal opinion. When I wrote about Oktoberfest, I realized how much observation matters. Journalism can raise questions without being too direct, simply by describing what you see and what it might mean socially or economically.

Finally, we worked on the opinion piece. This format felt very different again, because it is more personal, but at the same time it needs structure and responsibility. It showed me that opinion journalism is not only about emotions. It is also about arguments and about understanding the wider impact of what you write.

Overall, trying these different styles helped me realize how many forms journalism can take, and how much skill is needed even for texts that seem simple when you read them.

Field Trips: Seeing Journalism in Real Life

What I enjoyed most about this course were definitely the field trips. Visiting real media institutions in Munich made everything feel much more concrete. It was one thing to talk about journalism in class, but another thing to actually stand inside a broadcasting studio or a printing house.

Our first visit was to Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), the public broadcasting service of Bavaria. This was probably the field trip that impressed me the most. Partly because it was the first one, but also because everything felt so professional and well organized.

I was amazed by how much work goes into producing news and radio content every day. Seeing the studios, the live broadcast, and the idea of public service media made me think a lot. In Germany, this system is supported in a way that allows broadcasters like BR to focus on quality and independence. After that visit, I started paying more attention to BR content, even in small moments, like reading the news screens in the U-Bahn.

Our second session introduced us to the Munich Science Communication Lab. Even though it was not a classic field trip, it showed a completely different side of communication. Science communication is about making complex topics understandable for normal people, and that is also a form of public service. Especially today, when misinformation spreads easily, it becomes even more important to communicate clearly and responsibly.

The third field trip took us to Süddeutsche Zeitung and its printing house. Honestly, the printing machines were unforgettable. It was fascinating to see how fast and efficiently newspapers are produced. Before this visit, I thought print journalism was slowly disappearing, but seeing this place so alive made me rethink that.

At the same time, it also raised some questions for me. Printed newspapers are often expensive, and the audience is usually older. So it made me wonder how journalism can stay accessible for everyone, not only for those who can afford subscriptions.

Another very inspiring visit was Media School Bayern. This place really showed how journalism can be learned through practice. Students work with real equipment, produce content, and gain experience in a very hands-on way. The atmosphere felt young, creative, and motivating. I liked the idea that institutions like this help students find their way into media, even without a traditional academic path.

Finally, we visited Media Lab Bayern, which focuses more on innovation and the future of journalism. What I especially liked there was the design thinking workshop. We worked on the question of how to encourage young people to engage more with news. It was a good reminder that journalism cannot stay the same forever. New generations consume information differently, so media has to adapt, while still keeping its core values.

Looking Back

When I look back now, I feel that this course gave me both academic and personal experiences. I learned about journalistic writing styles, but I also discovered how strongly journalism is connected to society.

Public broadcasters, newspapers, science communication, educational media programs, all of them play a role in keeping people informed and involved. As an exchange student, it was especially interesting to see these institutions here in Munich and to compare it with what I knew before. It made me appreciate how much effort and structure is needed to create trustworthy communication.

I am really thankful for this semester, for the field trips, the writing challenges, and the chance to see journalism from the inside. Even if I am still not fully sure what I want to do after my studies, this course definitely opened new perspectives for me.

Thanks for reading, and I really hope this reflection showed how meaningful journalism can be, not only as a profession, but as something that supports society every day. Whether it is public broadcasters keeping people informed, newspapers helping democracy function, or media education programs preparing young communicators, all of these experiences reminded me that journalism is much more present in our daily lives than we often realize.

And if you thought this was the end of my blog posts, I’m happy to tell you that it’s not! I was accepted to stay in Munich for a second semester as well, which means this Erasmus journey will continue. So I will definitely come back with more stories, more reflections, and hopefully even another interesting course connected to media and communication. Of course, there will also be more posts about everyday exchange student life here in Munich. So stay tuned, and see you again soon. Bis dann! 👋