Is journalism for me?

Is journalism for me

If you’re not sure whether the world of journalism is for you, read through our top things to consider before taking the plunge.

Are you interested in fashion? Or maybe you want to become a sports journalist? Does political reporting sound interesting to you?

There’s a type of journalism out there for everyone no matter how niche your interests are.

So if you’re thinking about whether journalism is the right fit for you, we’ve put together a few things to think about to help make up your mind.

With all the excitement of working in the media comes a lot of spontaneity.

You won’t be working 9-5 because the news cycle never stops – even when you’re on holiday.

No two days as a journalist are the same. If that excites you, then it might be for you.

At The School of Journalism, we make sure that our trainees learn a little about a lot.

Journalists need to have an interest in the world around them, from who won the Stoke-on-Trent by-election to who was crowned best actress at the Oscars.

Whether you’re interested in print or broadcast journalism, a journalist needs to be a good communicator.

You need to be able choose what is newsworthy and deliver it in a clear and concise way that is appropriate for your audience.

You can try out using these skills in our free news journalism workshops, sign up here.

Sometimes journalism is a team sport – you need to be prepared for mingling and networking to build up a contacts book.

Read through how you can use LinkedIn like a journalist and build up some connections in the industry.

If all this sounds like you, then you have the makings of a great journalist.

If you prefer to spend longer digging through archives for beautiful double-page spreads, then maybe feature writing or investigative journalism is for you.

Or if the thrill of writing match reports and sending copy on the final whistle excites you, then you might just be ready to become a sports journalist.

Find out more about our multi-award-winning multimedia sports journalism course here.

 

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But whatever form of journalism you’re interested in, you need to remain one step ahead of the game.

Gone are the days when you submitted your copy and someone else took it from there.

You need to be able to write a good punchy headline for print and consider SEO for your online headline.

But don’t let us scare you – journalism isn’t rocket science or open heart surgery. Journalism is storytelling.

If you’re taking the plunge and becoming a journalist, then you’ll need a portfolio – read our top tips here.