Written by Chayyanika Nigam in New Delhi
Aspiring to be a journalist? But do you have what it takes? Good writing skills are not enough, there are several other important qualities needed to excel as a journalist and become a shining star in the media fraternity. Do you know what an Editor looks for in an individual who can join his team as a journalist? Curiosity, critical thinking, hunger for news, nose for news, a desperation to tell a good story, credibility, accuracy, timeliness, fairness, balance and media ethics…
Check out the 5 essential personality traits and significant skills to succeed.
CREDIBILITY
For a successful journalist, it is important to earn the trust of the audience in his/her stories or information. If you have earned that, half the battle is won. In the current scenario, when many eyebrows are being raised on the journalists and trust has been compromised by some media houses, being a credible journalist with a solid ethical core and integrity is what is required. Credibility can only be earned on three factors—Fairness, objectivity and honesty while building every story.
COURAGE
One of the important aspects of being a journalist is asking tough questions, digging deeper. To do so, a journalist must be courageous and bold. You must have a zeal to unleash the truth. There are times when a journalist is supposed to travel to risky and dangerous places. Boldness and a great amount of confidence is required to experience and excel the opportunity. Journalists should always be eager to learn from their limitations. An ideal journalist should also have the courage to accept criticism from the audiences in the form of getting trolled. Be ready to face unexpected situations anytime anywhere.
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Strong communication skills, in the form of writing and verbal communication are a must for a journalist. How do you distinguish between an average news story and an enthralling news piece, is important. These skill sets are used on a regular basis to interview sources and to write in-depth stories and reports. A good storyteller who has a control over language can always enthral the audience. A journalist must know technical writing and source attribution, along with a high proficiency in English grammar. As a budding journalist, you need to focus on developing a unique writing voice that differentiates you from others.
ANALYTICAL MIND
For being a good journalist, you need to be aware of the current events. Read a wide range of both print and digital medium of news sources to stay updated on various events. You must analyse each event. A good journalist must have traits of an analytical mind, critical thinking and sound judgement. Skill set of an investigative mind is also needed. Each story must be based only on facts instead of self-emotions.
TECH-SAVVINESS
In journalism, with time, technology and social media have become an integral part for real-time reporting. It is important that a journalist possesses technology skills. Journalists are expected to use social media as a tool to report in real time and to provide transparent coverage of an ongoing event. Fact-check, accessibility to public records while reporting are a must in the current scenario. A journalist must be well-tuned with the latest technologies and digital tools.
TAKE AWAY!
A good way to familiarize oneself with the ethics of journalism is to read and follow the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics.
