Careers in Journalism
Paul Hurst
Joshua Molsberry
Description
Journalism is an incredibly diverse field that offers a variety of career possibilities
ranging from investigative reporting to editorial review. Regardless of the specific job
within journalism, the end result is the dissemination of information to a specific, or
general audience. This can be done through forms of print media, such as newspapers and
magazines, or electronic media such as the internet, television or radio. Some of the
specific fields within journalism are analysts, correspondents, writers and editors. It is
these peoples’ job to gather information, prepare their stories for a particular medium,
and present it to their audience. They offer information about local, national or
international events. They present points of view on current issues, and report on the
actions of officials, executives, celebrities and common citizens alike. The common
objective in all these forms of journalism is to relate news and events to an audience.
How does one get there?
Journalism is a highly competitive field, and job opportunities are often hard to
come by. Very few journalists begin their careers in their idealized position. Rather, they
begin at low-level entry jobs and over time work their way up. The most basic and
universal pre-requisites for the various fields within journalism are education, an
extensive knowledge of a specific field, and experience.
An education in journalism can prepare a student for their career by providing
them with the necessary technical and theoretical skills. Today there are numerous
schools for journalism at which students can gain experience and skills in different fields.
1 Most journalism schools offers courses in areas such as writing, interviewing,
broadcasting and photography. Schools also often offer their students an opportunity to
gain experience through internship programs with various news organizations. The
University of Western Ontario for example, offers interns