Monday 6 May 2013

Pros and Cons of being a journalist

There are pros and cons to most jobs and journalism is no exception. So here is a quick list of the main advantages and disadvantages of working in journalism including the practical pitfalls associated with the job of being a journalist. 

Pros:
  • Not knowing what to expect from one day to the next as no two days are ever the same
  • Challenging and demanding for people who work best under pressure
  • You get to meet and talk to a variety of people from all walks of life
  • To have your name published on stories in print and on websites
  • You get paid to write, something that most newspaper journalists should have a passion for doing in the first place
  • To be seen and often respected by the general public as someone of authority and influence
  • Being invited to cover various events such as theatre performances and restaurant meal reviews for FREE!
Cons:
  • Low pay. Typically a UK journalist's starting salary is between £13K and £15K progressing to about £25K
  • Long and often unsociable hours which can include weekends and public holidays (the exception usually being Christmas Day!)
  • Working in a demanding and ever changing industry
  • Often working in a city or town centre newspaper office where there is no free car parking, subsidised or free childcare facilities and usually no staff canteen
  • A risk of death or injury if covering a riot, war zone or other violent disturbance
  • Being blamed for bad news or being seen as the enemy by members of the public when covering sensitive news or events

2 comments:

  1. I'm looking to become a journalist, but for an online company. It is my dream job and I am putting all my heart into my work. I have a blog to get my name out to show I have experience. Any tips for me? Thank you so much and I love your work.

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    Replies
    1. Hi there,
      First off, you sound really enthusiastic about the prospect of being a journalist so that’s a great start! You don’t mention the name of your blog or if it’s a news-based site, as this will certainly help to demonstrate to an editor that you have writing experience, multi-media experience etc. Also having news stories published online or in a newspaper or magazine is a great way to demonstrate that you have other key journalism skills too such as story finding, interviewing, writing, editing, proofreading etc.
      My advice would be to certainly continue with your blog if you enjoy writing it (make sure all the grammar and spelling is spot on ) and try to get as much work experience in journalism as possible either online or offline as even online journalists require the same skills and abilities as those who work offline.
      Take a read of my posts under the "Journalism Skills" label on this blog for a quick run-through of all the key skills required to be a journalist and keep up your enthusiasm!
      I’m glad you like my blog and hope you find it useful. Lots more articles to come so do stay posted! :-)

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