Countless things are happen around the world at the same time, and we get to know about some of them through news channels. Many news channels are on air nowadays connecting the people with the world. The curiosity of the people to understand what is happening around them is making journalism a fast-paced career. Journalism isn’t as easy as it looks, but yet there are many who want to choose journalism as a career.
If you are passionate about storytelling and you like a challenging job, then you should know how to become a journalist. The journalists and the news anchors telling stories on news channels shows the hard work of a big team . If you are interested in digital media and journalism, then you must want to know about the skills that are required to be a journalist.
Those aspirants who want to choose journalism as a career should know the journalism degree courses they must pursue to gain required skills. Here we have compiled the information to help you take a step to fulfill your dream of becoming a journalist.
Career As Journalist
Journalism is a noble career, and comes with a lot of expectation, journalist are trusted to bring out the truth and the struggle of people and pressurize the authorities to work effectively. In our country, journalism is the fourth pillar of democracy and to maintain its reputation; this sector needs more efficient journalists. If you want to be a journalist, then you must know that this job isn’t about just sitting on a desk. Here you will find a few steps that will guide on how to be a journalist.
Required Skills
Life of a journalist is not easy as there are no defined working hours. You will have to be present in the office if that is the demand of work. Now let’s take a look at what skills you must have to be a journalist;
- In-depth knowledge of many areas of life including politics, sports and others.
- Strong command on language (Hindi, English, or any other local language) and effective communication skills.
- The person should be alert enough to differentiate between facts and fiction.
- Sensible, un-biased, confident and team player are the other qualities that a candidate needs to develop to get success in journalism.
Complete Your Education
To choose your career as a journalist first, you will have to complete your education. You cannot pursue in this field with incomplete education qualification. Graduation in journalism-related courses like investigative journalism or broadcast journalism is a must to be a journalist. If you want, then you can go for the masters’ degree as well. If you are interested in any particular subject and want to do reporting about it, then choose it as minor and keep journalism as a major subject. This will help you when you apply for the job of a journalist. If you can go for double majors, then it will be even more beneficial for you.
Internship is Important
The internship is like a base for your career as a journalist, so chose the newspaper or media company wisely for it. This is the phrase when nothing much is expected from you, and you have a plethora of opportunities. As an intern, your responsibilities can be like fact-checking the stories, giving the final touch to the story or come up with new ideas. It is the time when you will learn the basics of journalism and keep in mind that the theory you have learned so far will be different than the practical work you will do in office.
Effective Writing Skills
It is a must for a journalist to be a pro in the art of writing. You must be a master in playing with words. You know what types of terms will work more effectively on the readers’ mind. If you see the art of communication with the readers, then it will become easy for you to have a job in a reputed newspaper or media house.
Area Of Specialization
The professional journalism is divided into two categories; Print media and Broadcasting media. You need to choose one of the groups to start your career as a journalist. In both of the classes, you need to have proficient knowledge and good command over the language. Some common areas of specialization in journalism is news anchoring, Political, sports, business and finance news reporting.
The First Job As A Journalist
When you have the required educational qualification, then you can apply for the vacancies released by various media houses. Connections also play an essential role to get a job in this field, and your internship will also help you. Initially, you will get some easy works like blogging or preparing content for youtube channel. The action you will do initially may be different than your imagination, but it will establish you as a good employee and team worker.
Wrapping Up
Generally, aspirants feel broadcast media has more opportunities than the print media, but the fact is both have equally opportunities to grow professionally. Every field is competitive, this is no less. You should never think of getting an easy job during the initial years of your joining. Learn to grow with hard work and struggles. Life of a journalist is not what it looks like, it is way more difficult. If you are up for a job that might include 24×7 working, you can think of becoming a journalist.
