By: Laura O’Sullivan
The thrill of seeing one’s name in print above an article excites thousands of budding writers. Explaining, perhaps why, journalism is one of the most popular career choices, but also one of the most competitive.
Journalism is seen as an exciting and rewarding career because it enables one to write about topics they have a strong interest in and facilitates freedom of expression. Journalists are often inquisitive and curious by nature and this helps to propel their articles into the headlines. They also have perfect spelling, grammar and punctuation along with good general knowledge.
It is important to demonstrate an interest in journalism from a young age, perhaps by writing for the school or college magazine. Work experience is also crucial, as it shows strong commitment towards the profession, enabling important contacts to be made. Work experience is often easier to gain at local newspapers as opposed to well known publications. Working at a local newspaper may prove invaluable, as an individual can learn more about the industry and it may be possible to shadow a reporter rather than just undertaking mundane tasks.
Numerous routes can be taken towards becoming a journalist. Some individuals can enter the profession by gaining promotion from working as a secretary or tea boy for a media company. Others are so talented that they exceed without having any formal qualifications. It must be noted this is becoming increasingly unusual.
Sixty percent of journalists possess a degree, so a highly recommended route is to read a non-vocational degree such as Politics, English, History or even a science. Studying a non-vocational subject displays depth of knowledge in a particular field, enabling one to write for specialist publications. This will increase future employment opportunities and could be followed by a postgraduate qualification in journalism. A postgraduate degree would not be necessary for lucky individuals who gain positions as Editorial Assistants. Media degrees are strongly discouraged because they are seen as ‘soft options’ by media professionals.
It is important for wannabe journalists to gain as much publicity and exposure as possible. Articles published may be used to build up a portfolio which may help an individual gain paid employment or access to a course. Many charities, such as Oxfam, look for volunteer writers. There is also the possibility of writing for local newspapers and newsletters.
With the take off of New Media, many websites are now willing to accept contributions from unknown journalists. These websites can be found using an internet search engine. It is helpful if you have particular interests as you can then contribute to specialist websites and fanzines such as those for football or music lovers.
The key to becoming a successful journalist, I believe, is persistence. Knock-backs and rejections must be quickly forgotten and replaced by renewed determination which enables articles to be published and that all important first job to be gained.
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