As long as the world has news to report and needs somebody to report on it, journalism is a career that is always going to enjoy high demand. While the digital age might be making some significant changes to journalism, especially when it comes to the reduced need for journalism in its traditional form, there are always new and better opportunities for modern journalists today who understand the role that digital media has to play when it comes to keeping the public updated with the latest news and developments from around the world and on different topics.
If you are interested in a career where you can get to be the first in the know about the latest news, have the option to work in a flexible way with freelance and employment roles available, and get to make the most of digital technology to do your job and achieve success, here are some of the best reasons to consider a career in journalism.
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Satisfy Your Curiosity:
Most journalisms have a natural thirst for gaining more knowledge. If you’re often finding yourself questioning things and want to find out the why’s, where’s, and what if’s of any situation, you will be glad to hear that as a journalist you’re in the best position to ask those questions out loud and dig deeper into a wide range of different situations. Journalists are often tasked with getting information out of people, and to do this successfully, you need to be both curious and sensitive at the same time. You’ll likely be a good reporter if you enjoy talking about anything and everything with others, even if you love a good gossip. Get started with a degree in digital journalism from St. Bonaventure University.
Work Remotely:
Being a journalist isn’t often a job where you’re working from nine to five in an office, although there are plenty of roles available in journalism for those who want this kind of work as well. Being a journalist often allows you to work remotely, and many opportunities will give you the chance to travel to different places or even around the world in your quest to get the latest information on unfolding situations. You could consider a career as a freelance journalist where you will have the freedom to work from home, your favorite coffee shop, or even a beach somewhere hot and sunny if you prefer. If you love to travel, there are plenty of journalism roles where you can easily use your work to satisfy your wanderlust, including travel-based publications like National Geographic.
Be in the Know:
When you’re working as a journalist, you don’t have to wait for the news to hit the headlines to learn all about it. You are going to be the first in the know and will often be the first to hear about things right as they happen before everybody else does. Journalists not only know what happened, but they will often know things that don’t end up making the news like why something happened or even who did something if you’re reporting on a criminal case and can’t provide identifying information to the public. While there’s a lot of confidentiality to keep and you’ll need to be prepared to keep your mouth shut, if you can do this then journalism is a great career option for getting insider access and many of the details that are kept from the general public.
Sense of Achievement:
You can’t help but feel a sense of pride when you see your bio or byline in print or on a website after working on an article or post as a journalist. Whatever you are reporting on or writing about, knowing that your name is attached to your work for the world to see can provide a massive sense of achievement that keeps you going, even when things get tough. It can be exciting in this role to know that all people need to do is a quick Google search for you to find your professional portfolio and read your past work.
Learn New Things:
In a role as a journalist, you will get to learn what does and doesn’t work, and why, from a prime position. Journalists are often among the first people to learn new things and make new discoveries, whether that’s about the world in general, society, certain industries, and fields, or even about themselves. Journalism is a career that encourages introspection and self-improvement. As a journalist, you get to learn new things about yourself on a regular basis, challenge yourself regularly, and discover your desires and fears. As a journalist, you can carve out the role for yourself in the world that you want, based on the information that you learn about yourself as you go through this career, including what you are good at and what you are most interested in.
Choose From Different Journalism Types:
Not every journalist is somebody who spends their time chasing breaking news stories. In this career, there are several different types of journalism to consider, giving you the chance to do a type of work that you are the most interested in and that feeds your curiosity the most. For example, those who are most excited by digital media and online information might find that a career in digital journalism is the right fit for them. Or, you may want to consider investigative journalism if you are interested in finding out new things and understanding the ‘why’ behind certain situations or events. Maybe you’re interested in being on TV and want to get into broadcast journalism, or if you are an avid sports fan and love following different types of sports all year round, sports journalism could be the ideal career for you to consider getting into.
Discover New Cultures:
Working as a journalist can certainly be an opportunity to take yourself out of your comfort zone and discover more about new cultures, areas, countries, cuisines, groups of people, professional roles, and more. As a journalist, you are likely to be working closely with people from all walks of life and may be required to visit different places and try new things to do this successfully. Whether you’re visiting new places, trying new things, learning about new social groups or organizations, or something else, as a journalist you will have the opportunity to get involved with things that you might never have crossed paths with in your life otherwise.
Work With People:
If you are naturally a people person and enjoy building relationships with others, you will enjoy the side of working as a journalist that gives you the chance to meet all kinds of people from various walks of life. Often, you will be working closely with people who you may never have met under any other circumstances. As a result, this role can challenge your perspectives and help you develop a fresh perspective on life. As you meet and get to know other people as part of your work, it can seriously develop your empathy and your ability to imagine what it must be like in somebody else’s shoes. Not only are you going to be spending your time getting to know the people that you are interviewing for the latest stories, but you’ll also be getting to know your audience. Journalism is a career where you get to learn more about people and what they are interested in, what’s going to make them laugh, and what will make them feel sad.
Tell Stories for a Living:
If you love telling stories and sharing the latest information with others, journalism is a career that allows you to do this full-time. If you are a natural storyteller and often find that your friends and relatives come to you when they want information on something or to hear about the latest things that have happened in your social circle, then you could make it big as a journalist. Journalists need to have a passion and a flair for telling stories in a compelling way that grabs and keeps the attention of others, so if this is something that you have always been able to do, it could be the ideal career choice for you.
Enjoy High Demand:
Journalism has changed a lot over the past few decades. Print newspapers and magazines are declining in popularity with more and more people choosing to get their news through digital channels such as websites, apps, and social media. However, this has not changed the demand for journalists. In fact, the growing demand for instant access to information that has come about as a result of search engines and the fact that we can get all the news we need at the click of a few buttons means that journalism professionals who understand digital media are in higher demand than ever before; something that is set to continue into the future.
If all or most of the above resonate with you, it’s worth considering if you’re a good fit for a career in journalism.
