Journalism is a fantastic and rewarding career for people who love to write. Perhaps you want to be on the cutting edge of the news, or breaking a story. Perhaps you see yourself eating your way around the world as a reviewer, or keeping people up to date on local events. If any of these things sound good, then a course in journalism could be for you.
A journalist can be more than just a writer or reporter however. Alongside reporters out in the field, there is a whole host of other jobs that require a similar skill set. Editors, Copywriters and even Photographers are all a vital part of the journalism machine.
What skills do I need?
A good journalist needs several different skills to be successful:
- Great writing skills
- An eye for details and fact-checking
- Quick thinking
- Strong presentation skills
- Analytical ability
How it works
Becoming a journalist is more than just sitting at a desk and writing about what you see. A great journalist has an eye for a story.
As well as traditional journalism jobs, like working for a newspaper or online sources and television, journalist often help in producing other forms of media, such as corporate newsletters, web content or other forms of communication.
There are many different types of journalist too, where reporters focus on specifics types of news. Some of these include; sports journalism, fashion journalism, investigative journalism and celebrity journalism. Newer specialities also include fields such as video game journalism too.
Types of Journalism qualification
Certificate
Journalism Certificate courses are perfect for getting started with a job in journalism. Teaching specific disciplines, such as radio and print, they give students the chance to become skilled at a specific subset of journalism. They are ideal for people coming from outside the journalism world who want to break into writing, presenting and reporting.
Undergraduate
A traditional undergraduate course is fantastic for beginning your dream career. Getting to learn the basics of the trade as well as important skills is essential. Topics range from learning skills like shorthand to learning how to write in a professional manner. Courses can also teach new journalists important abilities such as interview techniques and how to go out and do the job properly
Postgraduate
A postgraduate course is important for professional candidates who want to take their skills a step further and specialise in a specific field of journalism. Whether it is in editing, media or any of the related disciplines, a postgraduate qualification can really help a journalist to stand out in a competitive field where every advantage counts.
Career prospects
Journalism is a rapidly changing field, with new forms of media emerging all the time. For journalists who want to consider a traditional career, qualifications are extremely important to have, as they will often teach all the necessary skills for a journalist to thrive in their job.
For journalists who want to take a more modern path to career success, a course in journalism is a great way to familiarise yourself with the field, and employ traditional skills in a cutting edge manner. Newer forms of journalism, a such as video blogging and digital reporting require the same tools as traditional journalism, even if traditional qualifications are less important.
Journalism courses can also be a great help in a career such a PR, where knowledge of presentation is important. Specialist fields like analysis or economics also need many of the skills that can be learned as a journalist. No matter what your field of interest, there is a job in journalism for you.
Find the right journalism course for you on our database.
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