Think back to times when social media was not hype, and we used to turn on T.V or wait for the paperboy to get the news updates. Staying updated about what is happening around you or having an idea about world politics makes it easy to adapt to the changes. From seeing the reporters on the television to reading the newspapers, the news entails a journalist who provides us the information to stay connected to the world. Reporting the story or writing about it requires a special knack to make it sound exciting and catch a person’s attention.
The profession of journalism dates back to history. The world has seen many wars, and even in those times, the news reporting was in action through radios. Journalism requires collecting information about a particular subject, reporting the findings and conclusions to a broader audience through print, electronic, or digital media. The newspaper has multiple columns like investigative reports, features, columns, interviews, sports, and entertainment. Around 56 million newspapers get sold daily, and on Sunday, the amount reaches 60 million as many people have a day off to catch up on the news. These numbers indicate that besides in the digital world, journalism is still intact and serving its purpose.
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The profession of journalism intends to research and report the events that may affect the lives of people and the world on the whole. If you have an investigative knack like that of Sherlock Holmes and wondering how to become an investigative journalist, opt for a bachelor’s degree in English, journalism, or communication. These degrees will equip you with knowledge and expertise to aid you in your career as a journalist.
Besides investigative journalism, there are different categories of journalism that you can explore and choose to pursue as your career.
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NEWSPAPER JOURNALISM
The news that we read in the papers is not just a mere piece of writing. A newspaper journalist has put his time and effort in researching and reporting the news. They can work behind the scenes as a junior reporter investigating the facts and background of a story or write their articles online. They often work on tight deadlines, busy reporting breaking, and unfolding news. They work across online and social media channels creating print stories. They also need to master the Tee-line shorthand writing to note down the views while interviewing someone or can record it using a Dictaphone.
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SPORTS JOURNALISM
If you are more about sharing your views about the sport and enjoy doing that, then sports journalism is your call. This category of journalism is all about reporting the athletic news, sharing about the sportsmen, and writing about their interviews. Sports journalists report scores, standing, and rankings of any game on national or international levels. It can be in a particular form, like the investigative story or opinion style. Sports commentating falls under the category of sports journalism both on online and broadcast media.
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INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
It requires a person to wake up the detective in them and tap on their curiosity. This category of journalism is finding out the secrets and unveiling them. These journalists reveal secrets from every sector of life. Be it any political corruption or some celebrity; they will present all the hidden facts that might leave us surprised. The facts and captivation factors are the crux of investigative journalism and keep the readers engaged.
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OPINION OR REVIEWS
Opinions or reviews are a combination of facts and opinions. It revolves around reporting a topic using subjective ideas instead of going all factual. Opinion journalist adds their perspective while writing a story or a piece of information. A journalist’s thoughts or biases make it a unique genre of journalism. Opinion journalism can help people understand things and scenarios through their perspective and develop a full picture in their minds. The reviews or opinions are interesting to read as they involve views of another person that may align with ours, sometimes.
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BROADCAST JOURNALISM
The news that we gather through television or radio is part of broadcast journalism. Broadcast journalism has further branched into climate, traffic, sports, entertainment, and politics. The broadcast journalist research and report facts through radio and television; they often work on screen and present live news. Behind the screen, they work as research producers, utilizing their research skills to dig up facts about a story or an event. A person with excellent English, communication, and I.T skills is the best match for this field.
CONCLUSION
Journalism is playing its role for years to keep us updated about the events happening around the world. The profession of journalism is booming because news is a 24/7 thing, and people are living in different time zone. We can know about the climate or traffic situation through news or reading the papers. People who have a good understanding of the stock market become trade journalists, and those with a knack of analyzing politics opt for political journalism. Learning about a new movie or song release, changes in the life of our favorite actor or singer reach us through entertainment journalism. A journalist must have good research skills and communication skills, both written and oral.
