Journalism

Today the term journalism is applied to prestigious publications such as The New York Times, and to television news operations such as 60 Minutes and NBC Nightly News. " First amendment rights and the democratic political environment of the united states have contributed to the uninhibited growth of the news media in public and private communication."1 the world of journalism has changed dramatically from the colonial days. When newspapers were just channels or devices of commercial and political information.

SKILLS AND/OR APTITUDES

With the new changes in technology, it has changed the nature of the journalism industry, making it vividly sophisticated and requiring a wide range of skills. There are four significant skills, to become an exquisite journalist; to be prepared, alert, persistent, there, and wary.

v A prepared reporter educates her/himself.

v An alert reporter looks for intriguing facts.

v A persistent reporter never quits.

v A reporter who is there gets onto the scene where news happens.

v A wary reporter trust nothing until she/ he is sure of it.

A journalist must also know the difference between a source and a subject, because all reporting involves a source and a subject. A subject is whatever a journalist investigates, and a source is whatever answers the journalist's questions. The most basic way to get answers is to ask questions, this process is called interviewing. "The single most important thing to do when interviewing anyone is to listen carefully," said journalist Michael Kronenwetter in his book How to Write a News Article. A good journalist must learn how to study his subject and source. Journalist must know how to listen carefully and pick up if the interviewee left out any crucial facts, contradicts him or herself, or mentions newsworthy.

Journalist must also have good writing skills, and must learn how to take down copious notes. Must be able to record as much as possible, so that they are likely to forget anything of importance. Journalist must also be able to observe and report every little facts. Including tone of voice, facial expression, gesture, body characteristics, and the environment a subject creates at home or office. These little facts can reveal a lot about a subject, so it should be reported.

Another skill significant to journalism is research, unearthing old facts that someone else has reported. Journalist should always be ready to research by keeping a good dictionary, almanac, atlas, encyclopedia, phone books, maps and directories to government agencies. Journalist should be ready to support, contradict, or explain the on-site reporting of a news event. Part of becoming a good journalist is learning how to research and review until your eyes begin to water. Journalist are always researching, whether it is talking on the phone with at least 2-20 people a day, or interviewing 5 people a day. Respected journalists never trust anything until they can see research, and find the answer for themselves. To be a successful journalist you must be willing to spend long hours of researching, writing, and must be innovative, creative and aggressive. Journalism is a demanding a job and very competitive many skills are necessary to be successful in this field, but with time and effort it could be accomplished.

EDUCATION

Education is the key to making it somewhere important in this world; education is something no one can take from you and is also necessary to become a journalist. To become a journalist you will definitely need a high school diploma and at least 4 years of college. Half of the editors who hire newcomers prefer journalism graduates, meanwhile the other half prefer people who have a broad and deep knowledge of various subjects. How long you stay in school depends on where you would like to work. Many reporters at the white house and other prestigious places went to school beyond the normal four years. If you would like to work in a prestigious area, you should definitely go to school beyond the normal four years. If you are unsure where you would like to work, or if you think you could make it somewhere without the graduating from graduate school there is a timeline you could follow. It is after you graduate from a four year college and months pass without any job offers, consider going back to school and getting better training. In high school volunteer at your school newspaper, local newspaper, or broadcasting station. After volunteering there decide if journalism is the career for you, and if so begin to study writing, editing, photography, and the history of journalism.

There are many different forms of journalism, and they all ask for different types of education. The first one being newspaper, which ask for a college degree for an entry-level position in the news department. Basic knowledge of journalism acquired in high school education is a great asset for these technical and artistic people, as it enables them to do their jobs more meaningfully. The second one being magazine, which advise formal training in magazine journalism, or a degree in advertising or business management. The third one is broadcast journalism and it is advise that while in college to get a job in the college radio and television station.

REQUIREMENTS AND EXPERIENCE

There are certain requirements and experience that an editor is looking for to employ someone. For newspapers they would like someone who has good interpersonal communication skills and telephone etiquette are essential. Newspaper editors prefer someone who has participated in an internship during their college years. Also people who have worked on their college newspaper and other college publications, they leave a promising impression. For an editorial position in a major newspaper you should have at least 10-15 years in the field of journalism. For a position as a reporter 3-6 years will make you eligible, but to become news assistant you could have just graduated from college. For magazines they want someone who has a typing speed of at least 40 words per minute is a must; experience in the use of computer terminals or word processors may be required. People who work on professional journals, such as medical, need considerable knowledge of the journals subject. Some business experience, basic secretarial skills, and good phone manners are basic requirements. Magazines prefer graduates in business administration or marketing and creative training. A magazine internship experience is the best qualification, and experience on college magazines and newsletters is also helpful to get employed.2-5 years