NebraskaHarry

I have a Nikon D5000 and I love it. However, my school's entire journalism program swears by Canon (proud sponsor of the NFL). I don't think you can go wrong with either.

You'll be fine with either. They are essentially equivalent systems. I would go actually put my hands on the models you're interested in for each. There are ergonomics differences and, truth be told, those are the biggest deal between the two. Which feels better in your hands and which has the layout you like the best. That is all you need to concern yourself with for what you want to do.

For clarity's sake, I've been shooting Nikon now for a couple decades, but I know both systems well. I would not hesitate to recommend either to a person. There are a few subtle differences in camera capabilities, and specialty lenses, but honest - if you are asking "Nikon or Canon?" then you'll never know, or need to know, the difference. What feels best to you is what you want.