Become a Journalist

Upon graduation, fresh journalists face a fierce job market, with a limited amount of jobs. It is often suggested that students in journalism seek out freelance writing jobs as soon as possible to begin building a network of professional contacts and portfolio of work that they will need to enter the job market post graduation.

Once graduated, the typical path to becoming a journalist a newspaper is either trough field reporting or editing. A field reporter typically moves up the ranks through a series of promotions, until he becomes a correspondent and eventually a bureau chief. Most news from the lower reporters goes through a correspondent or bureau chief before the story sees the light of day.

Those remaining in an office doing editing work mostly start out sub-editors, can then be promoted to night editors with less than wonderful hours, and can end up as assistant editors. Editors of papers are generally those who actually own the paper.