Trade Journalism

Trade journalism is where you write for a publication that is read by a specific group of professionals and not something that tends to be read by the general public.

Working on a trade publication can sometimes be seen as a bit of dry and not very glamorous career choice, but it can also be a chance to become a relative expert in a particular field.

It is also a chance to work on national stories. For example, Health Service Journal often breaks stories that are then picked up by the national press.

Becoming a Trade Journalist

According to Jo Stephenson, who has worked for several publications, you should not be put off by not knowing much about a subject or industry. She had found most trade magazine editors are looking for people with the right skills and do not necessarily expect them to have a comprehensive knowledge of a sector, which can be learned on the job. Having said that, if you do know a lot about a subject then this is obviously an advantage.

There are many different trade publications and it may be you already have any idea of the area you want to get into. If not, do some research and then send your CV to some that appeal to you. It is also worth checking out the websites of big publishing houses such as emap, Haymarket and Reed, where editorial jobs are advertised.

A typical starting salary for a trade publication is £21,000 and when Jo made the switch from local to trade journalism, her salary went up about £5,000. But her advice is to negotiate more than she did. Months after joining, she realised she was earning slightly less than other people at the same level simply because they had come from other magazines and not local papers. They offer you what they think they can get away with.

It is also worth trying to get some work experience to see whether this sort of journalism is for you. Many trade publications are happy to take people on work experience.

Benefits of Trade Journalism

Trade journalists get access to very senior people, including Cabinet ministers and chief executives, and exclusive stories. This is because they are often trusted more than national reporters and seen as less likely to sensationalise a story. This means it can be a good chance to build up a first class contacts book and to get a portfolio of exclusives.

It can also be a good route into working as a specialist reporter for the national press, particularly if the subject is an area for which nationals tend to have specialist reporters, such as health or environment.

According to freelance journalist and blogger Jon Slattery, picking up a specialism on a trade magazine might be a better way to get onto a national than via reporting on a regional paper. He said: "I think the important thing is to try and specialise in an area that has mainstream appeal like finance, local government, education, property, health, travel and media.

Trade reporters are also seen as experts in their field and can be asked to appear on radio and TV to talk about a big news story in their sector.

Downsides of Trade Journalism

While the image of trade magazines is a bit over the top, it is true that some of the work can be a bit boring or very technical. It also does not have the same amount of variety as you get working for a newspaper.

According to Jo Stephenson, one of the big challenges is to interpret jargon and to resist the temptation to start using it yourself. It is important to write copy that is clear yet avoids talking down to readers who will have specialist knowledge about the subject.

"Also," said Jo, "sometimes you feel like a bit of a wally putting your hand up in a press conference full of journalists from the BBC, Guardian, Telegraph and Daily Mail and you have to ask the health minister what this means for physiotherapists."