Journalism Careers


“The smarter the journalists are, the better off society is. For to a degree, people read the press to inform themselves - and the better the teacher, the better the student body.” - Warren Buffett


Journalism is the practice of investigating, reporting and giving information about topics that concern the general public through different mediums like print, television, radio and the internet. It focuses on safeguarding the interests of the public and providing them with accurate and reliable information. The purpose of Journalism is to inform and educate the public about events, occurrences and other current affairs. The basis of the career of a Journalist is to serve the public and use the power of information to protect the citizens.

Journalists are professional practitioners of Journalism. They perform a wide range of duties that include research, writing, editing, verifying, shooting and recording. Journalists come up with ideas for stories, follow leads, collect information and write articles or present reports on the basis of that information. They keep in mind the style and tone of the newspaper/magazine/channel they’re a part of and strictly adhere to journalistic ethics and codes.

Journalists are responsible professionals who aim to keep the public informed about everything that is of concern to them. Most journalists follow specialized subjects and are known by the subjects they cover such as Investigative Journalists, Sports Journalists, Fashion Journalists, Business Journalists, and Travel Journalists. Even though there are no necessary qualifications that are required in order to become a Journalist, most companies and organizations do not hire Journalists who do not have at least a degree in Journalism or Mass Communication. Journalists also need to have an inquisitive and fair mind, with an ability to write and communicate responsibly and easily.

Types of Jobs and Roles in Journalism:

Broadcast Journalist

Broadcast Journalists are Journalists who work for broadcasting media like Television, Radio and the Internet. Their aim is to inform the public and focus on being the first one to reach the public with the news. They use easy to understand and simple language as their target audience includes illiterates and the uneducated (for T.V and Radio). Their style of presenting is mostly neutral and fair. Broadcast Journalists include Editors, Reporters, Anchors, Correspondents and Photojournalists. Every Broadcast Journalist is assigned a ‘beat’. A Beat is a specific area or sector within the wide spectrum of news, and every Journalist focuses on his/her beat. They follow leads and investigate them. The main advantage that Broadcasting Journalists have over Print Journalists is that they can update the audience constantly about each and every event. Therefore, they focus on getting the information fastest to the audience, rather than getting detailed information. Broadcast Journalists are involved in research, writing and pitching ideas for news stories. They have to often manage and give directorial inputs to the technical crew that includes camera operators and photographers. They’re also involved in taking on the spot interviews from the public and eminent personalities. Broadcast Journalists aim to get all sides of the story in front of the audience through debates and chat shows. They need to have good screen presence and communication skills. They should also have the ability to critically analyze events and a degree in Journalism is normally required.

Find out what it is like to be Working in the Broadcasting Industry.


Print Journalists

Print Media is one of the oldest forms of media. It includes magazines, newspapers, journals etc. Journalists who work for such publications are called Print Journalists. A Print Journalist can be a reporter, editor, feature writer, sub – editor, correspondent or a photojournalist. They work in a variety of fields such as news, feature writing and current affairs. They focus on the details of every story and look to give the as much information as possible to the reader in the easiest possible manner. They structure their articles in such a way that the most important part of the news story is conveyed in the very first sentence. This is known as the ‘inverted pyramid’ format of news writing. They have to adhere to tight deadlines and travel to a variety of places to gather information. They use this information to write well informed and detailed articles. They often conduct interviews and attend press conferences. The job of a Print Journalist includes being objective and to the point, with ‘Feature’ writers being the exception. Their main aim is to inform and educate the public through their writings. Even though the business of Print Media is declining all over the world, it continues to flourish in India. There is massive competition in this profession and the minimum requirements include a degree in Journalism or English, with excellent written communication skills. Print Journalists also need to have inquisitive and bold personalities. They normally start off as Reporters or Junior Reporters in smaller publications and then move up the ladder.

Find out what it is like to be Working in the Print Media Industry.


Editor

Editors are normally the senior – most Journalists in any organization. They are the heads of the media and publishing houses and are responsible for the overall running of the channel/website/newspaper. Everybody working in a media organization is answerable to the Editor. They plan and revise content and aim to understand the audience’s pulse. Based on their understanding of the audience’s likes and dislikes, they suggest stories and headlines that might interest the public. Even though there are a variety of people working on every story, the final decision regarding every aspect of a story rests with the Editor. They develop ideas and check stories and articles for their accuracy. Their main aim is to improve the image of the publication or channel. They try and build a relationship with their audience based on trust, integrity and truth.
Find out about the different Careers in Publishing Industry.

A lot of Editors often write ‘Editorials’ and conduct debates. They are the face of the media organization, and anything they say is considered to be the voice of the channel/website/newspaper. They are often in charge of hiring and firing reporters. Editors work on the layout and appearance of the publication and make sure that their publication’s style is being followed. They motivate and develop staff by assigning duties and holding team meetings. To become an Editor, you need a strong knowledge base in world and national affairs and lots of experience in the field of Journalism. A degree in Journalism is usually a pre – requisite.

Find out what it is like to be Working in the Publishing Industry.


News Anchors

News Anchors are generally the ‘face’ of a news channel and the ‘voice’ of a radio channel. Their opinions and statements are considered to be the opinions of the news/radio channel. Their basic aim is to present news stories on different types of broadcasting media like Television, Radio and Internet News Channels. They are responsible for introducing taped and live reports. News Anchors often conduct debates, interviews and talks. They analyze news stories and ask important questions. Their job includes reading off a teleprompter as well as making on the spot and spontaneous observations and comments. They should have sufficient knowledge in the fields of editing, investigating and writing news stories. News Anchors work very hard to meet deadlines. They are required to be cool, calm and composed during all situations. They should have the ability to remain neutral and give equal importance to both sides of a news story. Excellent communication skills, a cool and composed personality along with sufficient experience and a degree in Journalism can get you to the top of this profession. News Anchors usually start of as reporters and then move on to anchor their own shows.


Reporters

Reporters form the majority of the journalistic population. They are responsible for the information gathering part of Journalism. They follow their beats and investigate leads. They try to gather authentic information and use that information to write articles or present news stories. In Broadcast Journalism, they are also involved in reporting live and taking on the spot interviews. A lot of Reporters are also called ‘Correspondents’. Their job involves a lot of travelling and investigating. Even though most big organizations have local correspondents in every area, some reporters are asked to travel to foreign locations in order to research and present news. It is a very competitive profession, and involves hectic schedules that include field work and office work. Reporters generally have to be good in socializing and have to make contacts that will act as ‘sources’ for their information and provide them with important leads. They generally specialize in a particular type of news story such as sport, entertainment etc. Reporters are required to have excellent communication skills and responsible personalities. A degree in Journalism can help you get preference over other applicants. They generally start off as junior reporters and then climb the ladder.


Sub–Editor

Sub Editors are junior to the Editors and responsible for checking the written texts and stories before they are published or uploaded. It is their job to concentrate on the details in every story and look at it from a technical as well as a reader’s point of view. They make sure that all the details in story are accurate and there are no legal obligations to the content that will be published. They have to often re – write articles to make them more readable and concise. Sub – Editors are heavily involved in making sure that the style of the publication is maintained and followed in every article, headline and caption that is published. They write brief introductions to articles that sum up the main crux of the story. These introductions include headlines, captions and short paragraphs and are also known as ‘Standfirsts’. They use formatting and designing software to correct the layout of the publication and then send soft copies to the printers. Sub – Editors work closely with Editors, Reporters, Designers and Printers. In Online Journalism, Sub – Editors are responsible for making the articles more ‘Search Engine Friendly’. They need to have the ability to handle pictures and graphics and should know how and when to use them. Sub – Editors often work as freelancers, especially in the field of Online Journalism. A degree/diploma in Journalism is normally required along with excellent communication skills (written and oral). Most Sub – Editors start off as reporters and then move on to the profession of Editing. Good Sub – Editors often end up becoming the Editor – In – Chiefs of media organizations.


Feature Writers

Feature Writers are ‘special’ Journalists who do not follow the usual codes and conventions of Journalism. They usually work in the Print Media and tell readers detailed stories through descriptive and vivid writing. They do not believe in writing to the point articles in the ‘inverted pyramid’ format. Instead, they choose to give all the background information about a news story and tell the sequence of events in detail. Feature Writers analyze news stories, their causes and their effects. They bring a lot of emotion into their writing and are responsible for the ‘human touch’ in Journalism. Feature Articles can be about any topic, from something as casual as lifestyle related articles to something as serious as the investigation of communal riots. Feature Writers use quotes and facts more liberally and generally tend to look at the bigger picture rather than focusing on the details. They bring their own style into the writing rather than following the style of the publication. Feature articles are normally written in a way that even a reader who has no idea about that particular event or news story can easily understand what the article means. Feature Writers need to be dynamic personalities who are well aware of all the happenings around the world. A degree in Journalism is not always necessary, but a flair for writing and the ability to understand the pulse of the audience are two qualities that are generally required in Feature Writers.

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Photojournalists

Photojournalists are Journalists who use photographs and videos to inform and educate the public. They usually include photographers and camera operators. They create and tell a story through fixed or moving images. Photojournalists are very different from other Photographers or Cinematographers as they have to work within the rigid framework of Journalism and focus on the news story rather than their craft. They are involved in investigating, informing and supplementing news stories. Photojournalists need to have the ability to use their photographs to represent a story. They are very important for any form of media as images and videos make the audience understand the context of the news story easily and clearly. Photojournalists are often responsible for writing captions below their photographs. They also have to keep in mind the ethical and legal obligations of the information they’re capturing through their cameras. A lot of Photojournalists work as freelancers and for news agencies like PTI and Reuters. They need to either have a degree in Journalism or Photography along with a strong knowledge base in both these fields.

Find out about the Top 7 Careers for Freelancers.


Proofreaders

Proofreaders are professionals who specialize in checking written works for grammar, consistency, clarity and accuracy. A lot of proofreading jobs are outsourced to Freelancers who work from their respective homes. Their main aim is to make sure that the written work is free from all types of errors. They normally work under Sub – Editors and go through the details of every article rigorously. They have to make sure that each news story sticks to the style of the publication, and is free from grammatical and factual mistakes. A Graduate degree in English or Journalism can help you get better proofreading jobs.

 


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