National Press

Many people see being a local journalist as an apprenticeship to becoming a national journalist and moving to the nationals is certainly a chance to work on bigger and more interesting stories.

While some people say it is more difficult than ever to make the transition, a local or regional paper is still a great training ground. If you have been learning from talented people, after a couple of years you should have all the tools you need to make the step up.

What Do You Need to be a National Reporter?

The skills you need to be a successful national reporter are exactly the same ones you need to be a good local journalist. There is a perception that national journalists as a group are much better than local journalists, but in my experience this is not true.

The main difference between the national and local press is that there are many more journalists in the local press who are not much good, while in the national press the standard of journalist is more consistent. But if you were comparing national journalists with the best 20 per cent of local journalists then I do not think there is any difference in quality at all.

The things you need are a good news sense, the ability to develop contacts and a good writing style. If you have these three things, you will be fine.

The problem is that just because you would be good at the job, it does not mean you will be attractive to prospective employers. In terms of the people who get noticed, you are more likely to do well if you have a single-minded determination to be successful, the ruthlessness to get a story no matter what, and lots of confidence. These are not necessarily the attributes that make someone a good journalist, but if you have these then you are likely to do well.

Getting National Shifts

Perhaps the best way to get into the national press is to get shifts freelancing for a tabloid at the weekend or in the evenings. The Sunday tabloids, in particular, will often use freelancers on Saturdays. Bear in mind, though, that they get calls all the time from local journalists looking for shifts so you are likely to have to try for a while before you get someone willing to give you a chance.

Often, the work is not very interesting but it is a good chance to show them what you can do. If you are able to convince them you have ability then they may offer you a few months of regular shifts.

This can be a difficult decision because it generally means giving up a permanent position for an uncertain future, but it is usually worth taking this risk. Even if it does not lead to a permanent position, a few months of working regularly for a national will look good on your CV and will also be a good learning experience.

The quality nationals are even more difficult to get get a job at and there tends to be more of a focus on your educational background. If you are determined to work for a quality paper then as well as trying to get shifts you could aim to become a specialist reporter on one of the big regionals and then regularly break national stories and win awards for your reporting.