How to Get a Job in Journalism

At any given moment, there's someone making news...and scores of journalists who are busy writing about it. Here's how to create your own career opportunities to be a "newsie in the know".

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Excellent writing skills
• Great networking skills
• A college degree
• Computer
• Internet connection
• Phone
• Tape recorder
• Digital camera (optional)
• Photo editing software (optional)

1. Identify what kind of journalist you want to be. For instance, are you interested in covering hard-news stories or investigative pieces for a daily press, or would you rather do business profile interviews and "puff pieces" that constitute a substantial portion of content in weekly community newspapers? Are there topics such as music, movies, sports or politics that you consider yourself an expert on?

2. Identify how much time and energy you can reasonably devote to your writing. A daily press, for example, will be a much more demanding employer than a weekly publication, in which you have greater flexibility to deliver stories based on the timeliness of their content. Likewise, if you decide to focus your reporting on the field of entertainment, there will be an expectation that you attend a lot of events and establish an expansive networking strategy to tap into the latest gossip.

3. Identify whether you would be more comfortable with the structured environment of an 8-5 desk job or would prefer to be a field reporter/interviewer who primarily submits stories and photos via email.

4. Start a blog on a favorite topic and commit to writing something new on it every day. This will not only get you into the discipline of deadlines but also help you to start getting a following of readers who are interested in what you have to say.

5. Start working toward a degree in Journalism, Communications, or English if you don't already have one. While it's certainly possible to get an internship or freelance journalism gigs without one, editors tend to view college graduates more favorably when it comes to assignments that pay higher or carry more responsibility.

6. Take classes in photography if you are not already skilled with a camera. Depending on the kind of journalism you pursue, stories that are accompanied by high quality photos are generally going to pay more than those that are just straight text.

7. Write/edit stories for school newspapers, contribute regularly to newsletters, and pitch ideas to trade magazines and online publications. The idea here is to establish a portfolio of writing credits.

8. Submit articles to journalism competitions, especially those where you can get constructive feedback for your work.

9. Study the newspapers you would like to write for. Familiarize yourself with the names of the editorial staff members and the contributing writers. Call and inquire whether they accept articles and interviews from freelance writers.

10. Understand the target demographics of the publications you want to write for. This will impact the tone, vocabulary and complexity of your content.

11. Write short, insightful letters to the editor on the articles that particularly resonated with you. Whether or not your letter(s) get published, you're subliminally sending your name onto the editor's radar screen. (Just don't do it so often that you're perceived to be a pest.)

12. Check each publication's Web site to see if they have an "Employment Opportunities" button. If they don't, call the office and ask to speak to someone in HR. They will be able to tell you whether they have current openings for interns or writers.

13. Pitch imaginative and timely ideas to editors. Demonstrate that you can bring a fresh slant to topical stories while still adhering to the stylistic parameters set by the publication.

14. Network with PR agencies, business leaders, and non-profit organizations. The latter is almost always in need of volunteers to write press releases, letters and work on fund-raising campaigns. It's a great way to hone your reporting skills as well as establish working relationships with the media.

15. Find a mentor who is doing the kind of writing you admire. Most people enjoy talking about their jobs, how they got started, and dispensing helpful advice.

16. Identify a need that is not currently being addressed by the publication. For instance, let's say that it's a weekly paper in a community that is largely comprised of families with young children. You happen to notice that it's not carrying a regular calendar section of fun and economical activities that families can enjoy together. Put together a brief proposal that explains your qualifications to write such a section, how it would benefit the subscribers, and assemble a sample of what your proposed section would include.

Tips & Warnings

• Prior to pitching your ideas to the media, make sure you have familiarized yourself with at least the past three months' worth of issues so as not to duplicate something they have already covered.
• If someone grants you an interview, always follow up with the courtesy of a thank-you note.
• Whenever possible, tape-record your interviews (but only if you have the interviewee's permission) to ensure the accuracy of quotes.
• Always dress professionally when you're covering stories, taking photographs or doing interviews. You'll get much better attention than if you look like you just came in from gardening in the backyard.
• If an editor gives you a word count limit, do not exceed it. A lot of new writers assume that if 300 words is good, 850 words must be even better. It's not.
• Never inject your opinion or bias into a hard news story or one in which you do not have a byline; your job is strictly to report what is going on as accurately and objectively as possible.
• Never sell the same story to multiple publications, especially if they are competitors.
• Never interrupt the person you are interviewing unless it's too gently remind them that the chat is running over the time limit.

Resources

• Journalism Jobs
• Journalism.org

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Earn your degree from industry experts at University of Phoenix. Take the next step in your career.

[kimlucatorto]

on 7/25/2009 A great resource for getting your first media job and/or internship is: www.HungryGrad.com