Do you think you have the qualities of being curious, flexible, unbiased
thinking? Are you a patient person? Are you interested in events, places, or
people? Are you a good listener and a good speaker? Can you work under
pressure, meeting the deadline? Are you interested in bringing social change in
a peaceful manner? Can you become the voice of the thousands of voiceless of
our society? If so, then you surely have the potential and traits of becoming a
journalist.
What is
Journalism?
Journalism informs the pubic of important news
and information. They work for newspapers or magazines, write behind-the-scenes
for broadcast networks, confine their work to the internet or go on location to
gather information on events.
What does a
Journalist do?
Working as a journalist can take on many
different aspects, from the day-to-day job of beat reporters to the intensive
pursuit of investigative and so-called long-form journalists. But, in essence,
all journalism is investigative in nature. It involves learning about an issue
or a subject, whether that’s by reading official documents and questioning
those in authority, or conducting interviews and fetching information around
like a detective. Individual journalists often work with editors and/or
producers to verify facts, fill in missing details, and hone the narrative
elements of a story. More and more commonly, as convergence blurs the lines
between print and broadcast mediums, like audio or video, in the context of the
public interest.
In general, some journalists who are
generalists and those who have a specialized area of coverage. Here are some
common areas of specialization that are addressed in journalism programs:
●
Broadcast Journalism
●
Business and Financial Reporting
●
Environmental Journalism
●
Feature and Magazine Writing
●
Global and International Journalism
●
News Reporting
●
Online or Multi-Media Journalism
●
Science and Health Reporting
●
Political Journalism
●
Sports Reporting
Major steps one can take to entre in the field
of journalism:
1. Earn
a Bachelor’s degree in journalism or communication
2. Develop
your writing skills
3. Establish
connections with reporter and editors
4. Complete
an internship with a newspaper, magazine or media company
5. Choose
an area of specialization of your interest
6. Land
an entry-level job
7. Continue
your education and advance degrees to excel in your profile.
Personality Traits one should possess to be a
good journalist:
●
Curious, inquisitive and should possess active
personality
●
Good command over the language
●
Persistent and Disciplined
●
Professionalism and Confident
●
Should have a sense of responsibility for the public
good
●
Willing to work long hours
There are
several other positions within the field of media that require applicants to
hold a bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or related field.
Students may also want to consider becoming editors, whose responsibilities
primarily include revising and preparing content for publication. Those who are
more interested in the technical aspect of news reporting should look into
becoming a film or video editors, whose job duties consist of managing,
producing and editing videos for telecommunication purposes. Another
writing-related career that requires similar skills to journalism is becoming an author and writing creative fiction or non-fiction for books, magazines, or
other publications.
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