Not many of us are aware of the depths of journalism. The majority of the population has no idea what journalism is about and regards it as a profession that does not have enough value. The question that comes to mind is, why such indifference towards this profession?  

The term “journalism” is vast and covers many aspects of daily life. Are you fond of reading a newspaper? Or maybe, listening to the news on tv or radio? Well, who do you think writes the report for the newspaper? Who collects the information that is broadcast on live television? Well, it is the journalists. 

People who study journalism and pursue a career in it are known as journalists. To be a good journalist, one must excel in two things:

• Reporting
• writing

News needs reporting, which means you have to go around and collect information for the surroundings. 

How can you collect all the information? There are several ways to do so, such as conducting interviews, researching and reading relevant documents, or observing the scenario. Secondly, a good journalist needs excellent writing skills as he/she must deliver the information gathered skillfully with clarity. Hence, the reader can grasp it efficiently. 

All that you need to get started in journalism is a diary. Yes, you heard that right. a thing as simple as keeping a diary can be your source of entering the world of journalism. 

Now, you must ask how? Well, let me break it down for you here. If you have a diary, you can note everything you hear in our circle, from your elders or the internet. After jotting everything down in your diary, you can practice your writing skills by elaborating on the jotted-down information. 

Now that you have been briefed about what journalism is, are you interested? If you are, keep reading to learn more about how you can pursue a career in it and what being a journalist feels like. 

The first and foremost thing required is a clear head; you have to be passionate about it to excel. Sure, you need to work hard, but you will lack chances as passion serves to be the driving force in achieving one’s goals if you are not passionate enough. 

The types of journalism that you can put your hands in:

1. Investigative journalism: You’ll have to investigate a topic to expose it to a larger audience with facts and figures with the aid of a comprehensive report to expose the subject with provided support and conclusion. You’ll have to construct a proper plan to research and analytically write a report.
2. Watchdog journalism: You can invest in this if you want to guard your society against illegal activities or inefficiency from politicians or corporations. For this, you’ll have to monitor the activities of whoever you are investigating and report whatever may impart a negative impact on society. It can be print or broadcast media.
3. Online journalism: With this, you’ll have to report facts about online media such as blogs or online campaigns. And you will have all kinds of information freely available online, too but keep in mind that not all sources would be credible. The only difference is that with online journalism, there is no delay in print and distribution.
4. Broadcast journalism: You’ll have to broadcast information to the public with means such as radio and television. You can cover topics such as sports, weather, traffic or fashion even. It could be of an investigative nature, a watchdog, or simply opinion-based. You could write a report to publish or a corresponding video to support your investigation
5. Opinion journalism: The topics in hand would be more subjective rather than objective. Meaning you will have to report stories using your own opinion. This is unique in terms that no other type of journalism requires your opinion.so if you are opinionated, go for this.
6. Sports journalism: This is for if you are a sport’s junkie. You’ll have to report scores, rank teams, or athletes in events. It can be investigative or an opinion style, in the form of print or broadcast media or even online journalism.
7. Trade journalism: This is specific to a particular industry or field, impacting the people within the fields. It can be related to agriculture or finance departments. This heavily relies on substantial amounts of information regarding the market conditions of the selected field in question.
8. Entertainment journalism: As the name self explains, relates to celebrities, movies, televisions, and events. You might even have to cover award ceremonies or movie premiers. And it is usually in the form of print, broadcast media, and digital.
9. Political journalism: It puts light on the government and political parties or their reforms, their candidates in power; you will have to report elected candidates and their accomplishments and the result of political work. It can be of a watchdog nature to ensure that the public has access to it. But it can also be opinionated. It usually takes the shape of broadcast, print, and digital.

While there are a lot of options to choose from, here are some of the tips to keep in mind when selecting:

Firstly, choose your career path, whether you want to be in front of the camera, then choose accordingly or behind it anonymously. 

Secondly, selected the media you want to peruse, either in print or broadcast. 

Thirdly, research the mediums based on the job. I mean, some might require a degree or experience prior in similar fields. And further, in the future, require a master’s degree for a higher job level. Think before deciding if you are ready for this type of commitment

Lastly, choose the specification in which you feel like you will excel the most and have the most potential to research.

Best of luck,