If you are looking for an exciting career because you love adventure and have a bold personality then try something like journalism. It requires courage, attention to detail and calls for a lot of adventure. The primary responsibility of a reporter is to gather information/news about various events by witnessing an event, interviewing people and other sources which can provide newsworthy information. Reporters have to perform researches on specific events/subjects assigned by exploring a range of sources including public records, other documents and even through personal interviews. Reporters are expected to perform tasks such as, writing articles and other documentation works along with the most obvious job, ‘reporting’. The process of gathering information and processing the raw data to make it communicable to the ordinary people is not as easy as it looks from the outside. Media covers a wide range of topics and each reporter is assigned a particular area of focus called a ‘beat’ or a ‘patch’. Scroll down through the following part of this article to know more about this career!
Requirements
Becoming A Reporter
Eligibility
The first step towards the goal is to get a graduation degree in journalism or mass communication or even broadcasting majors after completing your higher secondary education. Graduation provides basic information on television news and media writing and some important inputs on research methods and media ethics. Internships are extremely helpful and almost all media firms hire interns to assist the crew members and directors. This gives additional professional experience and invaluable exposure to on-air talent. A post-graduation course on journalism, mass communication broadcasting etc is an added advantage always.
Courses Required
Apart from the regular Bachelor’s, there are some post graduate degrees that can make you a sought-after candidate in this industry. The chief among them are:
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Masters of Arts in Journalism and Sociology
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Masters of Arts in Sports Journalism
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Masters of Science in Communication – Journalism
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Post Graduate Diploma in Communication Studies – Journalism
Skills Required
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Communication and interpersonal skills: Proficiency in both the written and verbal department is mandatory. A unique style along with precision and conciseness makes for a killer combo in this profession. Having an aptitude for networking and interacting with people is important in this field.
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Interest in current affairs: Staying up-to-date with the current affairs and having an excellent general knowledge is a must. Needless to say, good listening and observation skills go a long way in getting you the latest scoop.
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Objectivity and accuracy and the ability to evaluate ‘newsworthiness’ of a particular occurrence is also equally important in this field.
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Research skills, excellent reasoning and analytical abilities are required to keep your reporting accurate and trustworthy.
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Professional ethics are something that no reporter can do without. Courage, determination and honesty are the key words that differentiate a good from a bad one.
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Interest in travel and the willingness to work around the clock is also very important.
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Ability to work under pressure and the ability to meet deadlines are also needed in a reporter.
Roles And Responsibilities
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To collect reliable information about current affairs and other events to provide daily news coverage.
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If you’re a senior then editing, correcting and formatting the article written by junior staff also becomes a part of your work schedule.
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Writing daily columns for a newspaper or a news magazine.
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Scrutinizing the actions and policies of the government and other influential personalities and analyzing them in an unbiased manner.
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Reflecting the vices and virtues of the society and reporting any instances of crime or corruption. Following up these incidents regularly to ensure that justice is meted.
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To prepare reporting stories for live and recorded incidents which involves researching, coordinating, developing and writing news scripts.
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Reporting business news and conducting interviews are included in a day’s work for a reporter.
Career Prospects
Skilled professionals can find opportunities in newspapers, TV channels, magazines, periodicals, websites, press information bureau etc. Confident individuals can opt for freelancing as well. Generic reporters can move on to special reporting, if need be, so as to report special topics like foreign affairs, sports, business news etc. Media is growing fast and there exists a stiff competition between the channels and newspapers. This increases the demand for skilled reporters who are talented enough to explore new spheres of news and report them in a catchy way to the viewers. Lucrative remunerations are offered to talented and experienced professionals.
Reporting is one of those careers through which you provide valuable service to the general public. Wish you all the very best in your noble endeavours!
