Looking for a job that combines writing, investigatory and research skills, and the ability to inform others in a clear, concise fashion? Does your ideal job involve travel, meeting others, and reporting on the facts about events that shape the lives of many people? If so, you’re probably a candidate fit for journalism jobs. If you like finding the story and telling all about it, then a career in journalism may be just what you’re looking for.
The Exciting World of Journalism
In today’s high speed world, information is critical. And the key source of this information is in journalism. As a journalist, your job is to gather information and keep others informed of current events that will affect their lives. There are many kinds of journalists. Some involve themselves with business and finance. Others cover topics like politics, current events, or crime. Science journalists keep us abreast of advances in scientific and technical fields. Not every job in journalism involves writing, however. Besides reporters, there are journalism vacancies for editors, researchers, photographers, layout and production design staff, sales and marketing staff, press release writers, on air announcers (radio and television), and many other types of jobs. All of these are parts of the overall category of journalism.
Journalists must be able to gather information and present it to readers (or viewers) in a way that makes it easy to understand. They must keep their audience informed and up to date on important events, whether these events occur locally, nationally, or worldwide. Journalists can be found working in many different areas, from television and radio, to newspapers, to specialty papers and magazines. The kind of issues a journalist covers depends on a great many factors; their skills at writing in a certain style, the background knowledge they may specialize in, the type of media their writing will appear in, and the editorial bent of the publisher.
Most people think of journalists as reporters for newspapers or magazines. But many of these typical journalism jobs are moving away from the daily newspaper, to other venues. Other well known places where journalists work are radio and television. These journalists typically work behind the scenes, researching, interviewing, and writing the stories that are then read by more photogenic newsreaders or on-air personalities. Occasionally, reporters graduate to taking over these on-air reading tasks themselves, but this is far less common today than it was in the days of great journalists/anchors like Walter Cronkite and David R. Morrow. Combining journalistic skills with compelling on-air personalities, these legendary figures often defined the standards of journalism and the events of their times.
One new area of journalism is in the online world. Online journalists, often called “bloggers,” report events and opinion in columns and web-based newspapers all over the world. Traditional newspapers and magazines also appear in online formats, where they can reach far more readers than they could through traditional methods.
Journalism Director
One special kind of journalism career is the position of Journalism Director. Similar to a publicity director or press secretary, a journalism director is responsible for managing a company’s publicity and media image. They develop media plans that cover press conferences, press releases, media events and communications, crisis management, and press relations’ materials. Journalism directors advise their companies on the best strategies for managing press issues and positively positioning their clients through articles, web-content, and media placements.
Working Conditions
Journalism careers involve high pressure and call on many skills. There are many deadlines; stories need to be able to hit the presses, web, or the screen on time and before other media outlets break the story. Yet at the same time, stories must be well written, carefully researched (otherwise, the publisher may face serious legal repercussions), and entertaining. Journalists must also try to make sure that their stories are clear and without bias towards one side or the other. Good journalism requires presenting facts and letting the reader reach his or her own conclusions. In recent years, there has been far more emphasis on espousing a particular point of view based on the publication. Maintaining your journalistic integrity in these cases may be an additional source of stress, which, when added to deadline pressures, constant travel, occasional dangers (if the job involves crime, crisis, or wartime correspondence), can make a journalistic career a pressure cooker indeed.
Qualifications
Although there are many journalism-training programs available through colleges and universities, often the best way to gain experience as a journalist is to work in a local paper or magazine. This experience will give you the basic skills and expectations of a journalism career. A degree in journalism is advantageous in that it allows you to get your foot in the door at a higher level, especially if you are seeking work in broadcast journalism. These positions typically require a higher level of knowledge than newspaper or magazine reporting, and candidates are expected to be familiar with the terms of the business.
Advancement Potential
For those starting out as stringers (reporters who submit stories but do not have regular jobs), there is a great deal of potential advancement. Particularly in the age of “blogging”, a good writer can build up his own following. It is difficult, however, to transfer writing skills into an on-air position; most of these positions go to people who have worked in TV or radio positions rather than writing/reporting jobs. But don’t feel discouraged; many successful journalists started out as stringers or bloggers.
Employment Outlook
Although there are fewer newspapers in print today, the need for good writers and reporters has increased tenfold with the explosion of Internet and 24 hours news outlets. Many newspapers have moved online, as have most magazines. There are also many online papers that are looking for people to contribute or “blog”.
How to Find Jobs
Journalism job listings can often be found in your local paper. There are also many specific online job listings. Online news sites often post ads for writers to work in the capacity of blogger or stringer. Make sure to compile a solid portfolio of your writing skills in a wide variety of writing types, tailoring your samples to match the needs of the outlet you want to work for. Journalism degrees and experience are also very valuable.
