Journalist

What the work looks like

• Develop story questions
• Interview sources and verify claims
• Write or produce reports
• Respond to editing and corrections

Skills you will use

• Curiosity
• Verification
• Interviewing
• Clear writing

Education and entry routes

• Journalism, communication, or a subject degree with reporting experience
• A portfolio of independently reported work
• Specialist training for investigative or multimedia methods

Tradeoffs worth considering

• Deadlines can be demanding
• Some beats carry personal or legal risk
• Work opportunities vary across media markets

Try it before you choose it

• Report a local story using multiple relevant sources
• Keep a verification checklist
• Compare a headline with the evidence in its article

Requirements and realistic entry routes

Writing, verification and interviewing practice matter; compare journalism programmes with broader subject degrees and reporting experience.

Distinguish a useful school subject from a compulsory admission subject. Check the exact programme, application year, school-board equivalence and professional recognition for your intended country.

First roles to investigate

• Reporting trainee
• newsroom researcher
• fact-checking assistant

These are role-search examples, not vacancies or guaranteed outcomes. Some require recognised qualifications or supervised professional training.

Try a small piece of the work

Report a fictional campus timetable change using a supplied mock source pack.

Produce

A short report, source matrix, correction note and a list of facts still unverified.

Check your result

Facts, quotations and interpretation are distinguishable; unsupported claims are removed or attributed.

Common misconception

Posting frequently is not the same as original reporting or verification.

Practical constraints

Travel, unpredictable hours and insecure early contracts deserve attention alongside the appeal of a byline.

Go deeper

Check the evidence and study routes

These links support education routes, professional frameworks or related occupational context. A directly matched local labour-market profile has not yet been reviewed for this career.

Adjacent possibilities

Make it your next step

Compare the route, try a small piece of the work and bring specific questions to a counsellor.