Is Journalism For You?

From the outside, journalism can seem a glamorous and exciting profession. And it can be, but there are plenty of times when it doesn't feel like it. There are times when you will feel under-valued, under attack and, of course, underpaid.

With the current trend of recruitment freezes and redundancies, there has never been a worse time in living memory to become a local or regional journalist. This is not meant to put you off. After all, many journalists could not imagine doing anything else with their lives. But think long and hard and make sure you are going into it with your eyes open.

Wages

Journalists, and local journalists in particular, are notoriously badly paid and for a trainee position you could expect to start on about £13,000, but sometimes it can be as low as £10,000. Even as a senior reporter, you will be doing well to get much over £20,000 and your salary could be much less than this.

This is because the supply is greater than the demand and you get talented people who are willing to stick out the bad wages for two or three years to get the experience before moving on.

The low wages meant that I had to live with mum and dad longer than I would have done otherwise and the salary and the cost of a journalism course means that people whose parents cannot afford to support subsidise their living costs get priced out of journalism. In fact, journalism is exceptional in that the proportion of top journalists who went to public school has increased in the last 20 years.

Working Conditions

In his book Flat Earth News, Nick Davies argues that cost-cutting by newspapers means that journalists are having to work increasingly hard.

It is true that many journalists work extremely hard for very long hours but this does vary across the industry.

There are still some papers that value the work-life balance and where everybody clocks off at 5.30pm. It is worth finding out what sort of working culture a paper has before you accept a job there.

You should, however, be prepared to work flexible hours, as many public meetings are held in the evening so people who work during the day can attend them.

Skills You Need

I think the things a journalist needs are good written English, an ability to get on with people, attention to detail and a natural curiosity about why things are the way they are. The rest of it, you can learn.

For Bath Chronicle editor Sam Holliday, the most important thing for a journalist is a genuine interest in the world and a genuine interest in people. "News is people," he said, "so if you are not interested in either of these then you won't be interested in the job."

According to Chris Walker, regional managing editor for Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales, as well as a hunger and passion for news a journalist should also have "determination, tenacity and a thick skin".

But the good news is that journalists do not have to fit a particular mould. "There is no such thing as a typical journalist," said Sam Holliday. "They have different personality traits and there is a home in our profession for a very broad church of people."

Many journalists will also tell you that news sense (being able to tell what is and is not a good story) is something you have or don't have. This is not true and it is something you can develop over time. But if you have it to start off with then that is a definite advantage.

As well as these skills, you also need the right personality. You need to be able to empathise with people, to be persuasive and also have the strength of character to stand up to people who are criticising you for the stories you are running. This last one is particularly important, as you can often find yourself in the firing line from people much more experienced and senior than you.

What You Get Out Of It

Yes, there are times when being a journalist feels like the most thankless job in the world. But at it's best, being a journalist is brilliant. The buzz you get when you are writing to deadline is like nothing else.

Being a reporter gives you an excuse to get involved with things for no other reason than that they are interesting. A career in journalism is your ticket to emotionally-charged courtrooms and press conferences. It gives you the chance to question and challenge the people who decide how the local area is run.

Above all, by doing your job well you can embarrass powerful people into doing the right thing. And when you see that your articles have made a positive difference to someone's life, it can be a special feeling.

"Despite its many frustrations," according to Sam Holliday, "journalism is the best job in the world."