10 Skills Every Modern Day Journalist Must Have
With the rise of genuine news, a skilled journalist is no longer an option but a necessity for our society. According to a report by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 6,000 news analysts, reporters, and journalists’ openings are projected each year average over the decade in the US.
To become a successful journalist, you should acquire the ten crucial skills alongside the journalism master courses discussed in this captivating blog. Here, you will learn how they impact your growth and the ways you can leverage them to fulfill your career goals.
Top 10 Skills to Pursue a Journalism Career
Journalism demands high-quality storytelling, research, and communication skills. Check out the top 10 skills below that you should have to pursue a successful career through journalism and mass communication courses.
1. Storytelling
For many people, storytelling is about engaging the audience, but for journalists, it’s about delivering the genuine news through impactful storytelling techniques. This ensures they are hooked on your news channel, resulting in an increase in TRP (Television Rating Point).
2. Research and Fact-Checking
Research work is the most critical skill for any journalist, especially with the rise of fake news. It helps them frame engaging news that captivates audiences and provides authenticity and genuineness. This further enhances your news channel’s trustworthiness.
3. Digital Literacy
While collecting evidence onsite and interviewing people can be an excellent research mode, the importance of internet research skills cannot be neglected. You should be able to differentiate between genuine and fake websites and find the required information from the sea of words. You should also know about Google’s updated policies and SEO techniques to gather online information effectively.
4. Critical Thinking and Analysis
Collecting evidence is essential, but to know which news to include, you should be able to filter that data by removing irrelevant information. This is possible through efficient critical thinking and robust analysis. You should know which data is relevant to the particular news. For instance, if you interview multiple individuals about a blast case at a specific site, you may not be interested in the interviewee’s perspective about the site’s upcoming events unrelated to the incident.
5. Versatility Across Formats
You may have gathered enough evidence and information, but to present it effectively, you should be versatile across formats—writing concise summaries, merging audio clips from interviews, and showcasing the collected evidence in a video. These three formats can help you deliver the information catchy and concisely.
6. Strong Ethical Foundation
In an era where fake news spreads like wildfire, it’s crucial to remain ethical and unbiased in your work through journalism master’s courses. You need to stay within certain boundaries while presenting news. For instance, if you are covering a sensitive topic like a rape case, you should be cautious enough to hide the victim’s identity, protecting their integrity and privacy.
7. Networking and Relationship Building
Vital networking and relationship-building skills help journalists create a network of notable personalities, sources, and credible contacts. This allows them to present accurate information, secure exclusive stories, and gain insights quickly, leading to better stories and credibility in the industry. Additionally, it helps journalists stay informed and grow professionally in the competitive landscape.
8. Adaptability and Continuous Learning
Technology is constantly evolving. Journalists should regularly stay updated with these technologies to ensure they use the right tools to gather accurate information, insights, and perspectives. They should be informed about changes in Google algorithms, new data analysis techniques, video editing tools, content management systems, mobile journalism apps, and more.
9. Time Management and Multitasking
There are times when multiple breaking news events happen simultaneously in nearly the exact locations. In such cases, you should be able to gather the information, compile it, and present it to audiences quickly, allowing them to get it faster than other media channels (after completing the journalism courses after 12th).
10. Sound Personality
Lastly, you cannot overlook the significance of a sound personality. This applies to journalists and other professionals who need to present themselves to the public (news anchors and marketers, for example). You can leave a lasting impression on viewers with a well-dressed appearance, decent grooming, and confident body language.
Wrapping Up
To wrap up the entire blog, modern journalists require core technical skills and essential abilities like storytelling, adaptability, and time management. By mastering these skills, you can seamlessly navigate the challenging and competitive landscape, from renowned journalism and mass communication institutes like AAFT.
In case you’re unfamiliar with us, we are a reputed college in Noida offering journalism master’s courses and other courses that focus on making aspirants job-ready as soon as they complete their Bachelor’s in Media and Mass Communication.