Journalism is often a passionate profession. If you are curious, have an investigative spirit, and are passionate about certain topics (culture, sports, politics…), this might be the job for you! The journalist’s main mission will be to research information, verify it, and process it for a well-defined target audience. But do you know all the facets of the journalism profession and all the jobs behind this generic term?
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Professions Related to Journalism
The world of journalism is vast and is not limited to the profession of journalist, which itself covers many different realities, from sports editors to major international television journalists. Therefore, you will sometimes be led to choose from very different professions. Among them are (non-exhaustive list):
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- Image Journalist: specialized in reporting
- Editor-in-Chief: Leverages a team of journalists and establishes the
- Copy Editor: Stages content to make it appealing
- Reporter-Photographer/Cameraman: Captures images, news moments
- Press Review Reporter (Think of Plantu)
- Stenographer: Transcribes information in real-time with incredible speed
- Writer-Translator: Translates oral or written information
- Editor: Checks the clarity and coherence of what has been done
- Iconographer: Searches for illustrations for the content to be published
- Corporate Journalist: Writes internal documents for a company
- Editorialist: Highlights the newspaper’s position on certain topics (in the headline, political issues…)
- Serial Writer: Writes series, episodes
- War Correspondent: Reports information during military conflicts on-site
- Critic: Gives opinions on various themes (art, gastronomy, books…)
Training to Follow
To become a journalist or a related person, you will need to undergo training at an accredited journalism school or institute, of which there are 14 in France. You will need to hold a BAC 2, BAC 3, or BAC 5 in journalism. However, in some countries, no degree is required to practice as a journalist. In these countries, an internship in the media is sufficient to become a journalist.
If you cannot afford to attend a journalism school, which costs around 4000 euros per year, you can still go to a college of letters or choose alternative courses that will allow you to gain better professional experience.
Once you have your degree, you will need to apply and build your network because job insecurity is very high in the sector. Thus, you can become a freelancer and develop your network at the same time. The more you write, the more you develop your network, the more experience you gain, and the more likely you are to be noticed and hired! Don’t imagine that you can become a journalist at TF1 or France 3 just like that, even with connections!
Finally, know that the average salary of a journalist is between 1700 and 2300 euros gross per month, but it can go well beyond that if you join a major editorial office.
Miss Web’s Tips
As mentioned earlier, to be a journalist, you will need to develop your presence on social media to make yourself known, but also to connect with influential people.
In a second step, create a blog that highlights the themes that interest you, while keeping a section updated. You need to have a theme, a sector that interests you more than another, and on which you will excel and stand out. This will be a real asset against your competitors!
Another piece of advice, if you don’t have connections or can’t access your dream assignments, start small. There’s no need to wait for a golden opportunity to present itself; if you do nothing for several months or even years, recruiters will not contact you. For example, you can try to write for a local newspaper, that of your town hall, or write communication materials for certain companies. Don’t hesitate to open all doors, and perhaps you will actually find a path that you enjoy much more than the one you dream of.
Finally, to be a journalist, you will need to speak several languages, including English, which will allow you to communicate with different correspondents. Consider creating an English version of your blog to showcase your skills!
If you are a journalist, or if you want to become one, feel free to leave a trace of your visit in the comments to give some additional advice to our readers!
🙂 Image sources: multimedia-journalism.co.uk/beckywicks.com/wheelideas.com
Tag: working as a journalist