How to Become a Great Journalist

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How to Become a Great Journalist - Journalism is a pretty exciting career option and one that requires great amount of devotion and patience. There was never a better time to become a journalist in India with fresher avenues opening up for journalism.

Journalism can be broadly classified in five categories:

Newspaper Journalism
Radio Journalism
Television Journalism
Online Journalism
Photojournalism

The job description of a journalist will depend on two things:

The subject a journalist covers, examples are crime, politics and show biz Outlet through which a journalist produces news, examples are TV, Internet, newspaper etc.

If you are really sure about getting a job as journalist and making a career there, then it is suggested to Read the first autobiography from radio presenter Chris Evans (“It’s Not What You Think“). It is excellent tale of how perseverance and dedication can help you achieve your dreams.

Eligibility

Graduation degree or Master’s degree in mass-communication or related fields.

There are cases where a successful and great journalist does not hold any degree, but those cases are very few and far between.

Basic Requirement

Excellent Communication Skills
Willingness to Work for Long and Irregular Hours
Ability to Cope with Pressure
Perseverance
Graduating high school with excellent scores in English will definitely provide an edge later on in the career.

Process for Selection

Pursue a bachelor’s degree either in Journalism, Communication, Media Studies or English.

First of all you need to select a right college. Try to choose a journalist school that apart from offering a degree also provides you the opportunity to practice your craft. Decide on the type of journalism you want to pursue and the mode of outlet you would prefer.

Try to get real life experience in form of internship, when you are pursuing your degree. Networking is an important element in the field of journalism. Along with securing you a job, it might help you later on in your career. Attending journalism convention and conferences can help in this regard.

Some Additional Tips That Might Help

Sign up for classes that will help you improve your writing skills.Contribute to your college magazine.Attend seminars, conferences and other similar programs that will help you hone your skills.

Apply for internship and engage in fieldwork

Do your masters in your area of specialization. Journalism has wide range of sub specializations. You need to be trained in your specific field in order to land in the kind of job you dream of.

Opportunities

India is a great place to be, if you want a job as a journalist. The media industry is in its growth phase here and there is a lot of demand of new talent, both in television media as well as print media. The industry is yet to settle down and this is where comes the opportunity for new jobs and career.

Thank you for reading article about How to Become a Great Journalist. Hopefully, this article can be your reference.