10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Journalists

You might not realize it, but journalists play an integral role in society. They bring important information to light that wouldn’t have been known otherwise. They inform the general public and keep them up-to-date on the latest news.

It takes a lot of hard work to be a journalist — far more than you may expect. Journalists work long hours, often with little sleep because they’re always on high alert for breaking news stories. They also need to be well-versed in many different topics, including current affairs and politics, as well as savvy when it comes to social media platforms — so they can engage with their audience quickly and effectively following major events such as the recent presidential elections in America or the refugee crisis across Europe. Goldsboro daily news obituaries is a great resource for daily news stories and obituaries from across North Carolina.

Though journalists go through the same training as other journalists, the nature of their jobs requires them to be more educated and knowledgeable since they have to keep up with the fast-paced world of technology. This is why many schools offer coursework on journalism, which is taught by trained professionals.

10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Journalists :

1. Journalists often have to take on multiple roles.

It’s not uncommon for journalists to be assigned multiple beats, which means they’re responsible for covering several different topics. This could mean writing about politics one day and the latest events in science the next — as well as everything in between. The same applies to multimedia journalists, who may be expected to shoot interviews, produce videos, write blogs and more all at once.

2. They’re out there in the thick of things.

Journalists don’t just sit behind a desk and write articles all day long (though they certainly spend plenty of time at their desks). They are often sent out into the field to cover events as they happen. This means they can be sent to cover protests, political campaigns, sports events, natural disasters and more.

3. It takes time to climb the ranks.

It takes a lot of years of experience and a lot of hard work before you can call yourself a journalist — and even then, it’s just the start because there’s always more work to be done. The first step is interning at a news organization, which provides journalists with invaluable training on the job. Next step is freelancing for smaller sites while writing at home or on-the-go in order to hone their skills — but these opportunities don’t come up very often…which brings us to our next point:

4. Journalists have to write on a tight budget.

Smaller websites don’t have a large budget for journalists, which means journalists are often expected to provide their own laptops, tablets and smartphones. These tools are necessary in order to file stories from anywhere in the world, at any time.

5. They need to maintain a positive online presence.

In addition to writing for their news sites and blogs, journalists must also maintain an active online presence on social media like Facebook and Twitter — which can be time consuming. This is why it’s important for journalists to craft sound bites and memes that work across all platforms so they’re able to reach readers effectively.

6. They’re always watching.

Journalists are constantly on the lookout for anything that could potentially be newsworthy, so they’re likely to be the first to report on breaking stories as they come out — especially when it comes to social issues such as homelessness, student debt, mental health or the environment.

7. They don’t just interview those in power.

It’s not uncommon for journalists to write articles that point out how things aren’t exactly being done correctly — especially where race, sexuality and gender are concerned. Those writing these articles may be called ‘activist journalists,’ and they’re often seen as controversial.

8. They need to be able to think on their feet.

Journalists are constantly working under pressure, which means they’re always looking for stories and they’re always working on tight deadlines — sometimes 24 hours or less depending on the nature of the story being written. They don’t have time to research every single detail because that’s how mistakes happen — and when mistakes happen, readers are quick to point them out. That’s why it’s important for journalists to be factual, accurate and have a strong knowledge base so they can quickly gather accurate information from multiple sources including online databases, court documents and Federal Trade Commission filings.

9. They have to be quick on their feet and very good at multitasking.

Journalists need to be able to write multiple articles, shoot video and take photos all at the same time. This is an important skill for journalists, especially those who work in the field — because they need to be able to write up a story while they’re still on scene, while they’re on the phone with a source or while they’re taking photos of a breaking story.

10. Journalists are never off duty — even off-duty journalists are still journalists.

Even when journalists are off-duty and away from the office or their desks, they’re still expected to be productive. This includes doing research on an off day, attending lectures and seminars or reading up on current events in order to be as well-versed as possible when working with other journalists.