5 Things I Learnt About Journalism Whilst Being a Journalist
I’ve been there for a hot second after all…
I suppose that most of you know by now that apart from being the witty, effervescent Medium writer with a heart of gold, I am also a journalist by day. I have been a journalist for merely three odd years, but my God, what three years it’s been!
I cannot even begin to explain to you all the things I learnt, the people I met, the experiences I’ll never forget, and a few mental breakdowns here and there, but oh, well. It’s all part of the fun.
Right now, as I’m writing this, I am working for a Serbian lifestyle outlet and I am quite pleased with it. I have always wanted to deal with lifestyle topics that aren’t too serious (though they can be) or depressing, but lively and positive, like me. My mission in life, one of them at least, is to make people happy. All I want to do is to bring joy, light, and positivity into this world which has a tendency to be pretty grim at times.
Knowing that I can do all of that again is such an amazing feeling, so in honor of stepping into my truth again, I wanted to give a little nod to journalism as a way of expressing my endless gratitude for making me into the person I am today, and I want to do that by remembering some of the most memorable things I’ve learnt during this transformative time of my life.
1. It’s a hard, but also a really fun job
When I first stepped into my first workplace to be interviewed for the position of a journalist, my editor at the time told me something along the lines of: “It’s really fun, but we work so hard”, and that should’ve been my first warning sign.
Journalists really are unsung heroes. You may think they merely sit and type all day, but that’s not the case. They are in constant communication with other journalists and people whom they want to interview, they go out on the field and report on breaking news, edit pictures, link keywords, add tags…Their minds are constantly running and their work doesn’t stop when they leave the office because news is always happening no matter where they are. That is why many of them have major anxiety issues.
2. You’re either in it for the change or for the drama
I always say that people who choose journalism as their career either have something to say want to make the world a better place, or are bored and want to create drama for no reason. There are also those who want to change the world by creating drama, but they are few and far between in my experience.
Most of them are pretty easy to get along with, though. Even if you don’t particularly like them, you’ll find them interesting to talk to, as all of them are very chatty people. Many of them are Geminis, which isn’t surprising in the slightest bit. This is their (our) area of expertise after all.
3. You don’t need to be a talented writer
Naturally, it helps if you have good writing skills, but they aren’t necessary. You’ll be able to pick them up in no time. What’s more important to most companies is to have people who are fast typists and are able to relay information quickly and concisely.
It would be ideal to be a journalist who writes immaculate articles without grammar and spelling mistakes, but that’s just not realistic, and ultimately it doesn’t really matter because you can always go back and edit all of your articles. It’s not the be-all, end-all.
4. Your organizational skills need to be on point
You seriously won’t get anything done without a solid game plan and a little agenda book or notepad. Everything needs to be pre-planned in order to avoid confusion and potential issues with your editor. It also helps you manage your work more efficiently.
You may think you have eight hours every day and think that’s more than enough, but you wouldn’t believe how quickly time flies by, especially if you are reporting on breaking news or working on multiple stories at a time. That is why it’s crucial to have some sort of plan of what you need to accomplish each day.
5. Journalists are overworked and underpaid
Given the fact that most (if not all) of them work on the weekends and holidays and have very little time off, put up with so much stress and often work overtime, you would think they would be the richest people on the face of the Earth, but that sadly isn’t the case.
Their salaries are either average or below average. They are much like teachers and artists in that sense. They put everything they have into their craft, but don’t receive much in return. It’s often a thankless job, so if you are thinking about becoming a journalist, it’s important that you know what you’re getting yourself into, and it’s important that you truly love it, otherwise it won’t work out.
If you happen to know a journalist or you’re friends with one, remember to give them a big hug, because they need it more than anyone for everything that they go through on a daily basis. You won’t see them asking for charity, as they aren’t that kind of people, but they will often need lots of emotional support.
With everything I said, I just want to add that this is truly my dream job and I am incredibly blessed to be where I am today. I love writing stories and inspiring people and brightening their day. Even with the troubles and inconveniences, I feel like this is right where I am supposed to be and it’s more wonderful than words could say.
Do you have any experience with journalists/journalism? Share it with me in the comments!
