How to Become a Journalist

Understanding the word “Journalist”

The word journalist comes from the French ‘journal’, which means newspaper or newspaper. So journalists work for a newspaper, but also for radio or television. A journalist is constantly looking for news.

News can come in via a press release . That is a message with information that people send to a newspaper. Or via a press conference . A newspaper can also buy messages. Often events appear in the newspaper or on TV at the same time. For a journalist it is always nice to have a scoop , then you will be the first to report the news.

As a journalist you can write about politics, health care or accidents. You can also specialize, for example in the field of music, sports or education.

A journalist cannot always go to everyone to ask questions. Journalists also do many interviews by phone or email.

Are you curious?

So a journalist can get news in different ways. Nevertheless, he will always have to find out carefully whether a story is correct or not. In the event of a conflict (quarrel or war), the journalist talks to all involved so that he can report properly.
In the some countries they have freedom of the press. In Iran or Russia, for example, journalists are not allowed to write critically about politics or about the government. If they do, they can be arrested or killed.

If you want to become a journalist, you are curious. You like to read, because you often have to look for information in books or on the internet. You also get information through conversations with people. You have to be able to listen carefully and ask questions. And if you are going to work for a newspaper or magazine, you must of course be able to write well. And then you also have to be able to handle stress, because you often have to meet a deadline .

When your article is published, people will respond to it. Sometimes they disagree with you at all. So you also have to be able to withstand criticism.

Education

Everything above appeals to you and you are sure you want to become a journalist? Then you can go to a journalism course. In the first year you learn what is new. And you learn practical things, such as conducting interviews. In the second year, you choose a major, such as television. Every year you do an internship for a while.

You take photos during a report, interview or a composite production. So you take photos on the most diverse subjects. And do you like writing, but not crowds and exciting things? Then you can become a writer. There you will learn how to write stories, poems or plays.