The job of a journalist is to inform people about the happenings around them by writing articles for newspapers. These newspapers are read by a major section of the society. In this way, a journalist is responsible to the society. A good journalist will always find ways to convey the message in the best possible manner and try not to offend the sentiments and sensibilities of the people.
Print journalists gather facts and write stories about current events and general topics that interest people. They are required to interview people, take notes, record interviews, carry out research, take pictures, etc. They also need to co-ordinate with editors, sub-editors and chief reporters.
Also, it is the job of the journalist to ensure that the news is as interesting as possible. In order to perform all of these duties, the journalist must be well aware of the current happenings. Also, the journalist has to be sure of what news he is dispensing to people. It is important for a good journalist to cross check all the facts before publishing them so that no wrong information is imparted to the readers.
Ideally, journalism cannot completely be taught. A person who can report a series of happenings in an efficient manner is what makes a good journalist. However, there are a number of courses that have been formulated in order to help students enhance their writing skills and chase their dreams of becoming successful journalists. In order to start off as a journalist, a student should take up a Bachelor's or a Master's degree in journalism from a reputed college or university. These institutions give the students training on the various important aspects of becoming a good and responsible journalist.
Along with these conventional courses, some students also take up additional writing courses which teach them about layouts and formats. These courses only add to the skills of the student and help him become a better journalist. The main qualities that a good journalist is expected to possess are writing skills, knowledge of current affairs, and a love for the profession. Journalism is an art. It is said that a journalist grows with time. The writing skills of a journalist keep on getting better with the volume of work he does.
It is essential for a journalist to have a strong command over the language he will be writing in. If the journalist makes grammatical errors or misspells words, it can result in bringing a bad name to the newspaper.
A journalist never stops learning. From the beginning of his career till the end of it, a journalist tries to enhance his skills and provide for intelligent reading for the people of the country. Also, there is no one right way to becoming a journalist, different journalists have their own unique ways of writing.
Most of the students intending to take up journalism start working as assistant interns in local newspapers along with their studies so that they can gain practical experience along with their academic qualifications. Journalism has great opportunity, especially with the coming of so many newspapers.
The payment a journalist receives depends greatly on the type of work they do. Their salary varies from field coverage to freelancing and at times they also publish editorials, which receive higher payment. The average salary of a journalist is about $35,000. A good journalist is an asset to his publication.
