How to Jumpstart Your Journalism Career (pt. 2)
My very first story “The Skirt Project” that ended up on big news media outlets :) I still feel so lucky till this day.
Do you have a passion for sharing stories? Interviewing established people such as government officials and business owners? Do you LOVE traveling for work?!
You’ve come to the right place, my friend. :)
Disclaimer: You may have noticed “pt.2” in the title, but that’s because I have written a post about getting into journalism during my HerCampus days. While most of the advice I was giving was on the right path, I have worked in local journalism professionally, so my advice and recommendations have changed quite a bit. Feel free to give a read if you’re a high school or college student wanting to still start out!
Back to our regularly scheduled programming…
Some people may argue that journalism and news reporting is “dying,” but I beg to differ. I may have discussed the many cons of the job, but it’s an exciting world to be in. Regardless of how big or small of what’s going around town, you’re always informed. While the news has always been depressing, we will always need journalists in this world. We will always need media professionals to inform the public of what is going on and actually delivering information that is factual and timely.
Before I get into the listicle, let me get this off of my chest:
No, you don’t need a journalism degree to be a journalist.
Before my readers who are journalists start coming at me in the comments, HEAR ME OUT.
I can’t speak on other people’s experiences, but my experience with being a journalism major during my undergraduate years were only theoretical and stuck to the basic principals of news reporting. While this teaching is important, I find that journalists learn and accomplish more hands-on, instead of sitting in lecture all day. Therefore, I would recommend to have some editorial experience such as writing for your school’s newspaper, contributing for newspapers or magazines or apply to journalism/writing internships (Chegg, Indeed and LinkedIn internships have some great options!)—anything you can do to apply your skills outside the classroom. You don’t need to focus on getting a job at the biggest news company right now. Getting a jumpstart in your journalism career is all about having fun, so don’t take that for granted!
Without further adieu, here are my tips how to jumpstart your journalism career from a former professional news reporter, now independent journalist!
Write What You Love.
News reporters focus heavily on their “beats.” A news beat is a specific type (or topic) of reporting that journalists write about that fits into either their interests or the writing strengths they play in. The popular beats are business, government, crime, arts and culture and many more. Think about what kind of stories or what kind of writing interests you and the many stories you can write about within this beat. Beats are very broad, but that’s what makes journalists so versatile in what they do. For example, you can become a business and food reporter on the latest restaurant opening in town or write a featured story about the owner and their employees. A good story starts from your writing passion and reaching out first. Find out how you can be able to reach out to the community and they will eventually come to you for story pitches!
Create CONNECTIONS.
Journalism is ALL about CONNECTIONS. Generally, it is not hard for journalists to reach out to a newbie. in fact, the community is very welcoming. Like I said, it is crucial that you reach out first to see how you can receive mentorship, create friendships and of course, find out what kind of stories to report on. Establishing yourself and having connections will make your life a HELL of a lot easier! Some organizations and corporations have public relations specialists that reach out to news organizations to give press packages, but most do not actually reply back to newbies because they’re unknown to the industry and are not within their media list. If you don’t want to feel like the odd one out, don’t be shy and make the connects you need.
Apply and Contribute.
Believe it or not, there are a lot of opportunities to contribute your writing towards, you just need to look hard. Here are some news organizations to contribute to:
• Virginia Public Media—Featured stories, community journalism reporting from national to local-level topics.
• Chegg Journalism Internships—Content writing topics
• LinkedIn Blog Posts—Career management, workforce, work culture and other business-related topics.
• Medium—One of the best social journalism sites for aspiring journalists to write for.
Just apply. Think about your purpose and what you plan to bring to the table for these news sites. You have to be specific on what you want to report on, making deadlines for your rough draft to be turned in and discussing your pay rate to these editors. Keep in mind, starting off small into your career…you may not get paid much, but people owe you for your time and energy you put into your work. So, don’t let people take advantage of you and your skills.
Put Your Opinions Away.
In order to stick to the values of journalism and news reporting, I wouldn’t recommend to publicly air out any personal opinions you have on your particular beat or whatever you’re writing about. It seen as being objective to a particular side and also blurs the boundaries between your work and your personal life. I was (still am) guilty of being opinionated in the past, but that was because no one taught me any better to stay graceful during times of stress and an intense news cycle. Follow your ethics and standards. Once a journalist, always will remain a journalist, so don’t air your opinions on politics, the economy, societal culture or businesses you favor when you’re starting.
Ultimately, it is not about being the best writer or journalist to put on your resume. It’s about journey and your experience about getting into the field. Like any career in life, the job is what you make of it! Take the opportunities that are in front of you, but control what you can control. It’s never easy getting the journalism job you want, but you can get it done.
Enjoy your journalism journey!
—Paula J.P. 