2 answers
Sadie
Student
Lynnville, Iowa
2
Questions
Asked
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How do I pursue a Journalist career>?
I have always told myself I want to be a veterinarian but recently I’ve been really interested in writing an interviewing. I want to know more about journalism in case I choose to pursue it.
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2 answers
Char R.
Registered Nurse
67
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Char’s Answer
Hi Sadie,
I've done a tiny bit of health care journalism myself. Journalism is a great field that requires a lot of communication skills, professionalism, writing ability, and research skills. You also have to be able to report stories without adding your opinion about it. Writing in an unbiased way takes a lot of skill.
The great thing about journalism is you can specialize. You can write about business, politics, health care, sports, entertainment, etc. Another great thing is you can travel a lot depending on the type of journalist you are.
As a journalist, you meet a variety of people and establish relationships with media relation teams and organizations. For example, you might write news for a local news site in your city. Let's say you are doing a story on an event that happened at a college (could be good or bad). You will reach out to the college's media relations team and ask to interview someone at the college. The team will connect you with the right person. As a journalist, you must have good people skills in order to interview well or even land an interview in the first place.
Unlike reporters, journalists do more than report news, they create stories around the news. For example, they might write about a current trend among students at a particular college. They might interview some
of the students and professors and write about how that trend affects the education field as a whole.
Most journalists have a degree in either journalism or communications, but depending on the specialty, that may not be required. Fortunately for me, I was given an opportunity to report on health care news/trends because I'm a nurse. A great way to get started is to contact your college's media relations team and volunteer.
Here's a great article on how to become a journalist:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-become-a-journalist
Here is one on the differences between a reporter and a journalist:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/reporter-vs-journalist
I've done a tiny bit of health care journalism myself. Journalism is a great field that requires a lot of communication skills, professionalism, writing ability, and research skills. You also have to be able to report stories without adding your opinion about it. Writing in an unbiased way takes a lot of skill.
The great thing about journalism is you can specialize. You can write about business, politics, health care, sports, entertainment, etc. Another great thing is you can travel a lot depending on the type of journalist you are.
As a journalist, you meet a variety of people and establish relationships with media relation teams and organizations. For example, you might write news for a local news site in your city. Let's say you are doing a story on an event that happened at a college (could be good or bad). You will reach out to the college's media relations team and ask to interview someone at the college. The team will connect you with the right person. As a journalist, you must have good people skills in order to interview well or even land an interview in the first place.
Unlike reporters, journalists do more than report news, they create stories around the news. For example, they might write about a current trend among students at a particular college. They might interview some
of the students and professors and write about how that trend affects the education field as a whole.
Most journalists have a degree in either journalism or communications, but depending on the specialty, that may not be required. Fortunately for me, I was given an opportunity to report on health care news/trends because I'm a nurse. A great way to get started is to contact your college's media relations team and volunteer.
Here's a great article on how to become a journalist:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-become-a-journalist
Here is one on the differences between a reporter and a journalist:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/reporter-vs-journalist
Marlene Ridgway
Feature Writer
7
Answers
Leland, North Carolina
Updated
Marlene’s Answer
The first step to great writing is to start reading! Start looking into publications, such as magazines, websites, and blogs to determine what you're interested in writing.
There are a ton of great journalism courses online and through universities but you should make sure you understand the filed first and the different types of writing. Good luck!
There are a ton of great journalism courses online and through universities but you should make sure you understand the filed first and the different types of writing. Good luck!