To be a good journalist learn to look beyond the obvious

Having an inquisitive mind and being the sort of person who doesn’t take things at face value will stand you in good stead if you want to be a journalist.

If you’re not bothered about questioning what you see or hear, and have no real passion to scratch beyond the surface, then perhaps you’re not cut out for a career in journalism.

To be a good reporter you should have a real ‘want’ to question and probe even the obvious and not be put off sifting through evidence or facts no matter how clean cut it appears.

It’s a bit like being a police officer investigating a crime who might question and probe even the most unlikeliest to have broken the law.

Just as the officer would not be swayed from pursuing evidence or suspects just because it seemed unlikely, so too should a good journalist not be deterred from probing and questioning facts that might appear to be a cut-and-dried.

That’s not to say that the evidence presented or what you hear won’t be just as it appears, but being inquisitive and not being afraid to ask questions and probe beyond the obvious, could land you a better story than the one staring you in the face.

So during an interview or press gathering don’t be afraid to ask questions others might not think to ask or question the answers given and dig through the available paperwork and/or documents.

Yes, there might be no story beyond the obvious but if you don’t ask or look, you will never know!

And let’s face it, if a rival media gets a great story that you missed because you weren’t thorough and failed to question and probe, you’ll have a lot of explaining to do to the editor which could damage your career as a journalist.

On the other hand, if you were to be curious enough to question, then you might land a great exclusive story that would be good to have under your belt as you forge a career in journalism.