What Does A Journalist Do?

What does a journalist do? If you want to become a journalist, this is an important question to ask. Let’s see if this post can give you the answer you’re looking for.

Let’s start by defining the word journalism. The AmericanPressInstitute.org defines journalism as “the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information.” Google defines journalism as “the activity or profession of writing for newspapers, magazines, or news websites or preparing news to be broadcast.” In short, journalism is the act of communicating information to the public via the media.

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A career in journalism means that you will be working in the world of media and communications. Popular journalistic outlets include radio, social media, blogs, websites, television, news channels, apps, magazines, and newspapers.

Typically journalists will specialize in a niche that’s interesting to them. For example, you could be a journalist that focuses on sports, politics, arts & culture, crime, science, or business. It’s your job to choose your niche and your medium.

So what does a journalist do a daily basis? There are lots of different options and it largely depends on your job title. Here are a few examples:

• Photograph the state football championships for the local paper
• Cover an ongoing scandal in a local community on the nightly news channel
• Share the latest surfing news via social media for a prominent, niche blog
• Write stories about the latest scientific research on climate change for a reputable magazine
• Report on the latest political events in Washington DC for prime time news radio

Sounds fun, right? If you want to pursue a career in journalism, research different journalism jobs like:

• Freelance Writer
• News Reporter
• Announcer
• Editor
• Blogger
• Documentary Filmmaker
• Publisher
• Foreign Correspondent
• Digital Content Writer
• Camera Operator
• Photo Journalist
• Brand Specialist
• Weather Reporter
• Sports Journalist
• Events Commentator
• Magazine Writer
• Newspaper Author
• Public Relations Expert
• Social Media Expert
• Investigative Journalist

Which one of these career paths do you want to pursue? To break into the field of journalism, you’ll need to:

• Obtain a university degree in Journalism, Media, or Communications
• Gain experience at smaller media outlets like a college newspaper or through a blog
• Apply for internships
• Find a mentor
• Build your portfolio
• Climb the journalism career ladder

Is a career in journalism right for you? Search and apply for journalism jobs on the JobMonkey JobCenter today.