October 2008
3 posts
Why Networking Matters!
Networking is taking me to Brazil!
A few years ago I had an opportunity of travelling for free. Somehow, I wanted a holiday and had no money! I always thought that as a journalist I would get to travel a lot and see the world.
True, but the travelling is not always fun, on the contrary it can be quite stressful. In a student media conference I atttendedn in 2006, I met a travel editor, who I...
Reporting on the Coroner's Inquest of a Mafia Drug...
What I love about journalism is it’s everyday unpredicitability. I was sent to court… yes excting!
Even more when I found out that I was reporting on the murder inquest of high profile Italian mafia drug baron Anthony Romeo.
A funny anecdote is being confused by Mr. Romeo’s widow because I arrived early and dressed in an elegant black trench, black stockings, and black high...
How the crappywriters almost got taken to court
I am the copywriter for two health and fitness websites. Only recently I found out that I can get sued for providing expert content where I don’t have expertise, and which can endanger someone’s life. Real man, no kidding.
From a journalism background, I had issues writing some pieces. What happens if our website gets at least a PR6, booming in readers and someone decides to follow...
September 2008
11 posts
Twitter Me Fun
Twitter, Inc. was born out of the offices of Obvious in March of 2006. The twitter phenomenon is labeled as micro-blogging. It allows you to write brief text updates about your life on the go, and send them to friends and interested observers via text messaging, instant messaging, email or the web. Twitter users only respond to one question, and in just 140 words. What are you doing?
Register in...
The Highs and Lows of Journalism
4. Gaining Fame, Glamour and Notoriety
This situation has it’s own high and lows. The glamorous aspects of journalism if you’re a reporter or news presenter on televsion, you’re recognized and mingle with the stars. If you develop good work, you’re highly regarded by the industry, and even awarded prizes.
However, your work is under display and under scrutiny. Journalists have often been...
The Highs and Lows of Journalism
Like I mentioned before there are many reasons why people choose journalism as their final calling. Some, are still trying to figure out if journalism is the right career and if they’ll be happy in the long run.
Some of this reasons are the desire to write, the desire to find out what’s going on in the world and the desire to tell a story. Some enter journalism for the glam status, and others to...
Rethinking Newspapers after Fairfax staff cuts:...
David Conley author of the Daily Miracle says media organisations will converge as changes to cross media ownership allows them to move into certain markets but one of the big problems they face is in making enough profit from their online operations to sustain high- level journalism and a polished product.
You’ve probably have seen in the past weeks how Fairfax actions has been criticized by the...
Re-thinking Newspapers after Fairfax staff cuts:...
The buzz word ‘convergence’ has kept me thinking all week about the career in journalism.
I was reading Stephen Quinn’s ‘Convergence Journalism: The Fundamentals of Multimedia Reporting’ over the weekend, and it’s been an eye opener.
I had always wanted to get into traditional newspapers, but the situation is getting more trickier with decline of newspaper reader consumption and lack of...
Fair Go Fairfax!
The hottest topic about the media for the past week has been the Fairfax job cuts. As a journalist, I feel what Philip Meyer, author of the Vanishing Newspaper, says that newspapers are in decline to the loss of advertising and the spread of news online. It’s now applicable in Australia.
On August 26, Fairfax announced it would cut 5 per cent (550 employees) of its full time workforce under...
Three more attributes for journalists
In Are You Journalist Material? Part One and Part Two, I’ve talked about the attributes you require to be a good journalist. I listed the eight attributes you should already have or strive to have.
I recommend you read the 8 attributes to self-asses your potential as a journalist.
Here are other personal attributes journalists should embrace when they’re doing their job. Again,...
Are you journalist material? Part 2
Here are 8 attributes journalists should have:
1. Inquisitiveness
A good journalist should be nosey about what’s going on in the world around them. A journalist knows stories don’t fall into their lap, instead he/she shows interest in getting one by inquring around and talking to people. Who bought those construction tools and why? What’s going on with the Sydney Buses that they’re always...
Fighting your journalism demons Part 2
Again, with little experience, employers won’t take a chance on me. I think I’ve been listening to too much ABBA since the Mamma Mia movie!
I landed a job in OPAM through networking. At the time, I had lost a prominent journo job, yes where they had taken the chance on me.You could call me desperate for needing to work and earning a living, but I also took it as challenge.
I started thinking,...
Questions to make you think about a career in...
Answer the following questions to have a better idea where a career in journalism stands in your mind right. (There’s no right or wrong answer. It’s only general knowledge for you)
1. Is journalism really your true calling?
2. Is it your passion?
3. If not, could and would you make it into your passion?
4. Or is it possibly a career option phase?
5. Or is it an...
August 2008
4 posts
Are you journalist material? Part 1
Self assesing if you’re journalist material can save you time in thinking about your future career in journalism.
Some of us dream of becoming a sports journalist, a television producer, a television series writer, a fashion journalist, a weather journalist/presenter, a news camera man, a foreign correspondent, etc, without having a taste of the industry.
You might just have finished uni...
Fighting your journalism demons Part 1
Another week has gone by and you’re still thinking of journalism as the right career pathway for you? Maybe you’ve almost figured it out? Well, I’m still in the dilema.
My journalism masters course keeps me entertained and motivated. I’m doing it full time combining it with part-time work. This is my first year, and I’m also adding a short course on voice trainning, also run by the university.
The...
Marketing/Advertising or Journalism: You make the...
A year ago, a media recruiter told me that people in advertising almost never make the crossover to editorial or viceversa. She said it rarely happened in her 15 year’s experience in the media.
I guess she has a valid view, after all she’s been a media professional and recruiter for so long. But it also makes me think about how many of students in my masters of journalism class come from an...
Questions to make you think about a career in...
Hey friends,
Trying to figure out where journalism stands in your life? Then read on…
1. Are you having problems to figure out if a career in journalism is for you?
2. Do you feel it’s hard to find a good paying journalism job?
3. Are you considering taking the leap from journalism to another media field, ie. marketing/advertising, because you reckon the latter has better pay and you’ll...
July 2008
1 post
Welcome to the HowToBecomeAJournalist blog!
Dear media and journalism friends,
The HowToBecomeAJournalist blog is a weekly posting about the highs and lows of becoming a journalist, how to find a job in journalism, and all the complexities and issues sorrounding the journalism industry, that will affect us ‘journalists’ in the future.
The blog is for aspiring, struggling, new and young journalists wanting a career only...