Journalism- A thrilling career

    04-May-2024
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Vijay GarG
Contd from previous issue
Journalists hold the power to influence the crowds with the first-hand information that they possess. However, there can be some just sitting in their office and collecting some random stuff for the internet and publishing out in their columns, which is something that a real journalist would never do.
Journalism is a highly responsible job, and highly thrilling at the same time. There are times when one needs to be fearless and present the truth in front of the public, no matter how harsh the truth is. Sometimes it becomes difficult due to the involvement of some prominent people in some scandal or a crime, a true journalist is one who without any fear carries on his investigation and brings out the truth in front of the public. If someone is looking for a career in journalism, they should have a presentable and confident personality, along with the ability to write and present information accurately and concisely without any fear or external pressure.
Other essential requirements that highlight a good journalist are: an inquisitive bent of mind, good writing and communication skills in the local as well as national language, strong ability to differentiate effectively between fact and fiction, tact to collect information and take some calculative risks, high intelligence level, awareness towards the general issues and facts, interest in current affairs and happenings around the world. One of the most important qualities needed is the capability of handling the unforeseen situations efficiently. Journalists may expose themselves to danger to cover in all aspects of information about a particular event, particularly when reporting in areas of armed conflict or in states that do not respect the freedom of the press. There can be some cases of corruption or bribery where some high-rank officials are involved, hence in these situations, journalists do risk in themselves to get the truth out. Organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters without Borders publish reports on press freedom and advocate for journalistic freedom.
Different fields of life including politics, art, economics, business, history, sports, entertainment and many other areas are covered by journalists and provide you with news about the latest happenings in these fields. If you are talented and hard-working, a bright career in journalism is awaiting you, which can take you to a good salary package and perhaps even fame and recognition. With the growing importance of media today, the opportunities in the field are numerous and the job is also demanding and exhilarating at the same time.
Different Types of Journalism
Thinking about pursuing journalism as a career, you have a wide range of principles of journalism to choose into from. The best foundation begins with an undergraduate liberal arts education that exposes you to a wide range of disciplines of study and helps you supplement your native curiosity with a habit of critical thinking. Whatever course of study you follow be sure to include a strong foundation in ethics. After that, once you have made up your mind for journalism, and then consider study at a university that offers a graduate degree in journalism. Each journalistic form and style needs some different techniques for collecting information and writes for different purposes and audiences. There are four principal types of journalism namely investigative, news, reviews and columns.
News: Most widespread form requiring journalism approach is the news coverage. News journalism is often to the point and does not contain any kind of added personal views or any kind of manipulation. It is often referred to as straightforward journalism. Facts are relayed as it is without any change or interpretation. Typical news must be relayed as it is without any tampering with the facts and figures. A normal news story often constitutes a headline with just enough explanation to give an idea of the rest of the article to the reader. News stories relay facts, events and information to society in a straightforward, accurate and unbiased manner. Any deviation from the original facts can at times lead to some serious consequences. To be contd