Journalist

In this career guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about journalism as a career, from roles and responsibilities, to work environment and roadmap to becoming a  Journalist.

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Who's a Journalist?

From unearthing scandals and reporting crime to reviewing the latest blockbusters and newest restaurants in town, the life of a journalist is very eventful! As a journalist, your primary job is to give people two kinds of information: need to know and nice to know. Journalists either write for a newspaper or magazine, or host a news segment on TV or radio. Most journalists begin by covering everything, but eventually choose a specialisation like entertainment, war, politics, sports, etc.

Sounds like a great career option? Get to know it better in the following sections!

Curious about the life of the journalist? Spend a day in the life of the journalist Rajeshwari adappa

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What will you do?

Reporting and covering news stories.

Your primary role is looking for news or features and reporting them to the public. This would involve gathering the necessary information, interviewing people involved and doing your research. All news and feature stories need to be unbiased and based on facts.

Example: As a crime journalist, you would interview victims, suspects, witnesses and authorities working the case to understand and report the story better. You would also look into past events for statistics or information on similar crimes committed in the area.

Travelling extensively.

You will travel to different places in search of new stories, or to investigate and collect information on a particular story. Some journalists also specialise exclusively in travel stories.

Example: If you specialise in sporting events, you will have to travel abroad to cover international events.

Presenting news.

People look to journalists to help them understand the unfolding of events. It is therefore your responsibility to provide this information in the best way possible. Depending on the event you cover, you must use write-ups, graphics, videos, pie charts, illustrations, discussions, etc.

Example: If you’re writing a story about a holiday destination, add pictures of the place or a video to help people understand it better.

Fact-checking.

Research and verify every story you cover, so you provide truthful and informative stories to the public. Stories that show errors in facts can affect your and your news agency’s credibility and following.

Example: When covering news about a crime or scandal, ensure that you get more than one reliable source of information to avoid misreporting any facts.

Selecting a role.

There are two primary roles you play as a journalist; as a:

  • Reporter
  • Desk person

A reporter goes out on the field and gathers news and stories, whereas the desk person (also known as sub-editor/editor) will edit the story, add a heading and place it in a newspaper/magazine.

So, right at the outset, you’ll need to decide if you want to be a reporter or a desk person. Based on your role and your profile, your tasks will differ.

Where will you work?

Field Work

If you choose to be a reporter, you would work on the field, where you would interview people, attend events, be part of court hearings, etc.

Office

If you choose to be a sub-editor, you would work at the office, where you would work with reporters to edit copies, design headings, and lay them out using software. 

New Locations

As a reporter, you would work from a different region or country on breaking news stories and, at times, even find yourself in dangerous situations, especially if you’re a war correspondent.

How do you get there?

STEP 1: Class XI-XII/Junior College

Arts is your ideal stream if you want to pursue journalism. Subjects like psychology, english, sociology and political science help form a strong background in journalism.

STEP 2: Graduate Degree

Pursue a three-year Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree and major in subjects like English literature to improve your communication and writing skills. You can also pursue majors in other subjects like political science if you want to get into political journalism.

Alternatively, pursue a three-year BA in Journalism and Mass Communication or a three-year Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) degree.

STEP 3: Internship

You can take an internship with a news channel, newspaper or website. Here, you will do research, look for the right images for stories, and occasionally even write a story.

STEP 4: Land a Job

Congratulations, you’re officially a journalist! You can start off as a junior reporter and work independently or with a senior reporter to cover events or stories.

STEP 5: Postgraduate Degree

Most people pursue a postgraduate degree immediately after their graduation. However, you can also work for a few years before you go for further studies. Pursue a two-year Masters in Journalism or Masters in Mass Communication. You need at least 50% marks in your Bachelor’s degree to get into this course.

Alternatively, you can pursue a two-year Masters in English Literature. You need at least 50% marks in your Bachelor’s degree to get into this course.

 

Take the Mentoria career assessment test, to find out how well-suited you are as a Journalist.

STEP 1: Class XI-XII/Junior College

If you wish to become a business journalist, take up commerce in junior college.

STEP 2: Graduate Degree

Pursue a three-year Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) degree to master your basics in finance, economics and business to cover stories related to finance and economics.

Alternatively, pursue a three-year Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) degree to understand the basics of mass communication and journalism.

STEP 3: Internship

You can take an internship with a business channel, publication or website. Here, you will do research, look for the right images for stories, and occasionally even write a story.

STEP 4: Land a Job

Congratulations, you’re officially a journalist! You can start off as a junior reporter and work independently or with a senior reporter to cover events or stories.

STEP 5: Postgraduate Degree

Most people pursue a postgraduate degree immediately after their graduation. However, you can also work for a few years before you study further. Pursue a two-year Masters in Journalism or Masters in Mass Communication. You need at least 50% marks in your Bachelor’s degree to get into this course.

 

Take the Mentoria career assessment test, to find out how well-suited you are as a Journalist.

STEP 1: Class XI-XII/Junior College

If you want to get into health and tech-related journalism, take up science in junior college.

STEP 2: Graduate Degree

Pursue a three-year Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree to master your basics in physics, biology or information technology, depending on the field of journalism you want to get into.

Alternatively, pursue a three-year Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) degree to understand the basics of mass communication and journalism.

STEP 3: Internship

You can take an internship with a science channel, publication or website. Here, you will do research, look for the right images for stories, and occasionally even write a story.

STEP 4: Land a Job

Congratulations, you’re officially a journalist! You can start off as a junior reporter and work independently or with a senior reporter to cover events or stories.

STEP 5: Postgraduate Degree

Most people pursue a postgraduate degree immediately after their graduation. However, you can also work for a few years before you study further. Pursue a two-year Masters in Journalism or Masters in Mass Communication. You need at least 50% marks in your Bachelor’s degree to get into this course.

 

Take the Mentoria career assessment test, to find out how well-suited you are as a Journalist.

What skills would you need?

Research

Research

You need to perform research on the eggs, sperms and embryos you obtain from the patient. This will involve some long hours of research.

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Analytical and Data Skills

Analytical and Data Skills

You will receive huge amounts of data from your client. This data will have to be analysed effectively so you can find ways that will help your client reach their customers is the best way possible. While it is true that the more data you analyse, the more insights you generate; analytical thinking will help you narrow down your search and find your key actionable items, thus saving you a lot of time and resources.

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Time Management

Time Management

The best - and worst - part about marketing is that there is never a dull moment. But this also means that there is NEVER A DULL MOMENT. Be prepared to be working on several tasks at once. That means that there are times when you will have to put certain projects on the backburner. You will have to know how to prioritise so that you don’t lose out on any opportunities.

Adaptability

Adaptability

As a marketer, you will deal with different types of customers. You could be working with a manufacturing company that sells paper to businesses, or a company that sells chips to the masses. Your skill will be measured by how you deal with different consumers.
Attention to Detail

Attention to Detail

Working with eggs and embryos is a very tedious task. Every little detail matters when you are observing them. If you are good at giving attention to detail, then your job at the laboratory will be made much easier.

build this skill
Communication Skills

Communication Skills

Communication and interpersonal skills are very important while dealing with patients. You will have to guide certain people about a procedure or treatment. You may need to provide them with some serious information about their fertility and treatment progress. Hence these issues would need to be handled sensitively.

build this skill

How do you make it to the top ranks?

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Intern

As an intern, you would work in different departments, handle simple tasks such as uploading website content, looking for trending stories, etc. You would also get an opportunity to write articles or report news, which you can add to your portfolio.

Reporter

This is an entry-level position, where you would work independently or assist a senior reporter. You would work on one or two columns/sections of a magazine, newspaper or website. If you’re a broadcast journalist, you would cover small events and report live to the public.

Sub Editor

This is a parallel hierarchy. As a sub-editor, you would edit content written by junior and senior reporters. Your primary job would be making sure that a story fits in the given time slot for broadcast or given page for a newspaper/website.

News Editor

As a news editor, you would be responsible for airing or publishing stories. You would ensure a steady and continuous inflow of up-to-the-minute news in the newsroom or newspaper office. You are also the person who works with both the Chief Reporter and Chief Sub to ensure the order of stories.

Editor-in-Chief

You would be in complete charge of all the stories run or published by the newspaper or channel. You would spearhead the editorial department and the newsroom or news house as a whole. You would also look after the strategic and budget planning of the organisation.

Thinking of a career as a Journalist? Take the Mentoria assessment test & talk to our career counsellors to get personalized step-by-step guidance for your future career path.

Pursuing your career locally VS overseas

If you have studied journalism in India, you would have a deep understanding of the field here and, therefore, find it easy to get a job here. With many new digital publications setting up every year, there is a huge demand for professionals in this career. Pursuing a BA or BMM in India would cost you anywhere between INR 50,000- INR 5,00,000 depending on the college you opt for. Top colleges from where you can pursue journalism in India are the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media, Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Lady Shri Ram College, etc. While a graduation course is enough to land you a job here, you can always look forward to pursuing a masters in the field to enhance your knowledge in the field.

If you are planning to graduate in journalism outside India, establish a good network with people there so you can eventually get a job in that country. Once you decide to study abroad, ensure that you get a thorough perspective of the culture, the society, the people and build your own network. A master’s or diploma in journalism abroad would cost you an average of INR 10,00,000-INR 50,00,000 depending on the university and the type of course you opt for. You can also look to do a specialisation course in photojournalism, sports journalism, online journalism, etc. Top colleges to study journalism abroad are Columbia College, Pennsylvania University, Medill School, and so on.

How much would you get paid?

Your payscale would depend on the organisation you work for, the experience and talent you bring to the table, and the city you work in! 


What are your career options?

Print Journalism

If you want to connect with people through your writing, get into print journalism. As a print journalist, you would dig up interesting stories and write about them. You would generally work with a newspaper or a magazine as a reporter or editor. As a reporter, you would go around collecting news pieces on the current happenings and events. This job will keep you on your toes and out in the real world where the action is. Editing is more of a desk job and involves editing articles to maintain style and grammar. You would work on adding headlines, kickers, and relevant photographs to articles.

Broadcast Journalism

If you’ve always pictured yourself reporting live from an event – giving people live updates – pick broadcast journalism. As a broadcast journalist, you would report news, read news, and host debates and other talk shows on the TV, internet or radio. Since this is live, presence of mind and quick wit is essential to grow and thrive.

Sports Journalism

If you are a sports enthusiast, you can get into the field of sports journalism. As a sports journalist, you would cover tournaments, events, and news related to sports. You would talk about different sports events from local football or cricket matches to the Olympics, rate a player’s performance, interview sports players and coaches, etc. You can even choose one sport that you want to cover and build your expertise in that field. You could work for a newspaper, news channel, radio channel, magazine or website.

Entertainment Journalism

Entertainment journalists interview actors, musicians, dancers, writers, etc. They are the ones who give you the inside story on the lives of celebrities, tell you which movies or plays you should watch, etc. As an entertainment journalist, you would be required to attend trailer launch events, watch movies, read books, attend concerts and festivals. You would work in sync with photographers and videographers, especially when you’re reporting live from events and parties. Life as an entertainment journalist can be very glamorous and exciting but, since most of these events take place at odd hours it can get very hectic.

Political Journalism

Are you passionate about keeping a check on how the government works? Would you like to help people understand the good, bad and the ugly of their leaders? If yes, consider pursuing political journalism. As a political journalist, you would cover all aspects of politics and political science, and present it to the people. You would report about new policies drafted, party manifestos, etc.

Education Journalism

As an education journalist, your day could start in a nursery school with kids struggling to read and end at a meeting with politicians struggling to create new policies. If you’re passionate about education, consider this beat. You would be reporting on all things education, from the different boards of education and teachers to new colleges and entrance exams. You would also look into how new technology is changing the face of teaching and report on its pros and cons.

Photojournalist

If you feel like you’re more of a picture’s than word’s person, photojournalism is the path for you. As a photojournalist, you would make use of pictures to tell a story. This would involve documenting various events and capturing precious and significant moments. You can form a niche for yourself by specialising as an entertainment photographer, war photographer, travel photographer, etc., depending on your interest.

Features Writer

Feature writers write feature stories, which are different from news stories. They feature life around us as it evolves. Typical features stories relate to fashion, food, profiles, health, travel and so on. As a features writer, you have to ensure that you have something interesting and new to share with the reader or viewer.

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