Ten tips for success
Online journalism lecturer Paul Bradshaw offers his top ten tips for anyone who wants a career in journalism - including how you can start right now
Ten ways to kick-start your career
1. Read the news. Amazingly, some aspiring journalists don't read newspapers. I don't know why they want to write news, but chances are they won't if they don't read it. And yes, that means newspapers, in print or online. For the most part newspapers dictate the news agenda that broadcast news and magazines then follow. But yes, watch television news and listen to radio news as well, and read magazines. And do all of this often, and do it critically.
2. Make contacts. Contacts are vital to your work as a journalist - not only should they be able to tip you off to what's happening, they will also be a quick and reliable port of call when you need a quote or verification. Contacts are what get you the stories, and flesh them out. From a local vicar to the spokesperson for the Vintage Motorcycle Club, start adding them to a little black book (and spreadsheet), and start making phonecalls now: "Anything happening?"
3. Get a life. Journalists generally report about a particular area - politics, sport, the environment, science, health, education, communities, religion, technology, motoring, finance. If you haven't picked an area, pick one, and start getting involved - join organisations, attend meetings, go to events, do things and talk to people. Stories don't come with a convenient label: you need to be able to spot them - while experiences can make for great material.
4. Immerse yourself in online and offline communities. One of the fastest growing areas of employment in news is the 'community editor' - someone who can manage the bloggers, the Flickr group, the forums, the user generated content. To be able to do that you must be in communities already.
5. Don't sit around waiting for an email reply. People can ignore emails, and they generally do. A phonecall is much harder to ignore, and you'll get more than a one-line reply. Learn to use the phone/mobile/Skype. In other words, be persistent.
6. Learn how to spell. For a journalist correct spelling and grammar says everything about your professionalism. Whether you intend to write for a textual medium or not a badly spelled CV or poorly constructed script will not get you that job. This is not about the pros and cons of good spelling, but simply that employers a) still think that it matters; and b) will use a range of criteria to filter out applications.
7. Learn how to edit audio and/or video. These are becoming increasingly important in print journalism as well as broadcast. Magazines are giving applicants screen tests. Newspapers are asking for your work on tape. They want adaptable employees.
8. Be open to new experiences. So you're interested in music. That's nice, but if you think you're going to land your first job on NME, you're deluded. A journalist should be prepared to write about anything, and a good journalist should be able to do it with creativity and curiosity. One former colleague had jobs writing about technology, education, and cars before she landed her dream job on a women's magazine - it's par for the course. But it's not a bad thing: it's one of the best things about journalism! Don't say you want to see the world but then complain when you have to go to Djibouti.
9. Know what the rules are so you can break them. There is a laziness about a lot of professional journalism - the he said/she said piece; the 'expert' quote; overreliance on official sources; the 'more research is needed' exit line. It is hoped you will question the profession, and improve it. Don't take lists like this lying down, and question everything you read and hear.
10. Start being a journalist now. You should be blogging, you should be commenting on others' blogs; you should be bookmarking on Delicious. You should be on Twitter. You should try podcasting and vodcasting and photoblogging. You should try reporting from your mobile phone - sign up to Shozu.com. If you really want to be a journalist you should be prepared to be asked this question at interview: why aren't you one already? What's stopping you?
Read more from Paul on his online journalism blog