Journalism is an old and essential career. From the earliest days of the profession, people shouting “Hear ye, hear ye!” in the streets, those who bring the news to the masses have always been part of a time-honored profession. Journalists have long had the vital job of keeping people informed, and the masses have trusted journalists to be impartial and truthful in that vocation. However, as the nature of engaging with an audience and the platforms and methods of sharing information change, it can be easy to wonder what good a journalist is in this day and age. If this is something you’ve been thinking of, or are merely curious about what a journalism career can do for you, then look no further!

What It Takes To Be A Journalist

Many skills and personality traits make a “good” journalist, but ultimately there are so many different kinds of journalism that what it takes to be a journalist depends on what kind of reporting you want to do. There’s plenty of opportunity out there so far as the education requirements are concerned. Many colleges offer journalism courses, it’s even possible to pursue an online Masters of Journalism! Once you’ve done your requisite course, it comes down to determining where your passions lie. What can you see yourself writing about, potentially forever? Also, What can you talk about for hours with little to no effort? What is it that drives you in the day-to-day?

Genres of Journalism

There are more types of journalism than you may be aware of. It’s incredibly easy for this type of career to go unobserved, as we rarely see the workers themselves – just the fruits of their labor. When you watch the news on your television, that is the work of the broadcast journalist. Reviews of movies and events within the film and television industry are typically carried out by entertainment journalists. The fact is that there is a style of journalism for basically any form of art or other cultural phenomenon out there that has an interested group of people in it. There are music reviews, political discourse, social criticism, sports coverage, and opinion columns. Investigative journalists often spend their lives in pursuit of stories that inform the public as to some current event, such as a suspicious case in the public eye, or a recent social trend. Even if you don’t want to be a journalist, a qualification in the practice can net you some very worthwhile skills. For example, a journalism course will get you familiar with the fundamentals of photography, video, design, and audio. You will also be introduced to coding with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript programming languages, to facilitate website design and online storytelling. Also, You will learn how to build your personal brand, granting you practical skills in marketing and data analytics.  You will also learn how to report in real-time using social media, another vital marketing skill that can prove highly lucrative.

Modern Journalism And Content

Of course, as technology progresses, so too does the nature of pretty much every industry in the world, and the same is only too true for the art of journalism. With the rise of content creation and content marketing, every industry leader is now using this highly efficient form of inter-social communication to get the word out about their brand, products, and services. However, this form of marketing has also led to a new form of journalism. Where once journalists had to get a degree and then pursue a position for a magazine or newspaper (or attempt to scrounge a living through freelance work), now with the advent of YouTube and blogging, anyone with the passion and talent can stretch their journalistic legs in a very unique, creative, and engaging way. Content creators such as Tee Noir, a feminist PoC content creator, can research, write; and create content that gets directly to their audience and spreads their message. Although it may not be obvious at first, Tee Noir and other creators like her; are engaging in the most up-to-date form of advocacy journalism; while other content creators dedicate their channels to news about gaming, entertainment, fashion, or politics. There is a blog or YouTube channel for just about every form of journalism out there; and pursuing an education in the field will give you the skills to strike out on your own and create your engaging content.

Being A Journalist in 2023

The fact is that Journalism has always been, and will always be hard work. It’s not a profession for those who want things easy. No matter what your style of journalism is, you’re going to be chasing stories, conducting research, hunting leads; writing and editing the same thing for days on end, and constantly hearing new and different perspectives; – some of which may even clash directly with your beliefs. Yet, it is the journalist’s job to report on these events ethically, without bias; and to present the information as accurately as possible to the public. Journalists have an exceedingly important job, and while it may seem like modern platforms are hurting the industry; the reality is that 2023 is a prime opportunity for enthusiastic journalists who want to truly create something fresh, original, and exciting. That is exactly where a career in journalism can take you.