To ask if anyone can advise my DS on the best ways into journalism/how to become a journalist?

[Soulshinesbright]

He’s 18 and looking to get into Journalism/become a journalist but he’s just not sure how to and what is best to do at university to help with this? What’s the best routes into journalism? Is anyone here a journalist and would be willing to answer some questions he has? Thank you to everyone in advance

My ds is a journalist at ITN.

He did a history degree at a not very good uni. He spent that time building up a student newspaper, including interviewing some local mp’s and local issues of interest.

He then did an MA in Digital Jounslism at Sheffield uni. I think Cardiff, UcL and Sheffield are the only courses credited by the NUJ. Anyway they are the top best 3 courses.

He did placements at big newspapers, and ended up freelancing. He’s busy every day.

It’s how he shows an interest in journalism that will get him on a course. So he needs to get involved with the local student newspaper and build up the readership.

And to scotch all the myths on here.

Ds did not work hard at A level
He didn’t go to Oxford or Cambridge
He’s dyslexic.

But he still did it. It’s not about any of those things. It’s about doing the right MA. They all got jobs.

I think the first rule of getting into journalism is to do your own research of how to get into journalism!

These salaries are way off

Solid academic degree from a good uni. Some post grad journalism courses (eg City University in London) have a good rep, but avoid at undergrad.

Get lots of work experience - student papers, placements in the summer - as you go.

Be aware that journalism jobs have really shrunk (I think more than halved) in the last 20 years because of so much free content and magazines folding.

There will always be news work but it’s Competitive with a capital C, and it’s also worth checking out what specialisms are buoyant (science and tech might be - dunno)

Think flexibly - there is more work in video content, and it’s mostly better paid, so learning to shoot and edit is a great idea if he leans that way.

Am not a journalist, but work with them in a media setting.

These salaries are unusual

Anyone I know who stuck it out as a journo is scraping along on a pittance. It's very poorly paid these days. So my initial advice is don't do it.

Communications roles in organisations are much better paid.

I'm not scraping along, I'm comfortable-ish, but I can't afford to privately educate my DCs.

But I do genuinely love what I do - which is quite significant compensation for the lack of riches. And I can afford music lessons, riding lessons etc.

I am a producer, but have worked as a reporter in the past. No family connections, just slog. I worked for free in school holidays for anyone who would give me a couple of weeks work experience. Solid degree(think history/politics) and postgrad in journalism. Both BBC and ITV have fantastic trainee programmes, so look out for them. I can't emphasise enough how important bylines and experience are when it comes to showing potential employers you are serious about the profession. FWIW I have worked for a large company for more than 20 years and earn nowhere near £150k, but it's a decent enough living if you work your way up through a good company. Best of luck!!!!

Journalist here. I would dissuade him from travel journalism, there’s no money in it and it’s not a career path. He needs to get a good degree in something not journalism related (economics, history, political science). Most of our graduate hires were from oxbridge. He can also look at City University London for undergrad/graduate school to study journalism (excellent networking and opportunities right out of school).

While in school he’ll need to write for the school paper and intern. All the major broadsheets/broadcasters/magazines have internships.

If you can, I would steer him towards financial journalism (again look at City University), he can have a decent career and there are plenty of job opportunities in London. It’s much easier to have a flexible career with choice with a good degree and a level of expertise.

I wouldn’t say it’s a dying industry, I spent more than a decade at a financial broadsheet, but it is pressured and constantly changing. He’ll need a good level of stamina to compete, it’s a career that takes years to develop.

Are you very rich? Journalism as a hobby, fine. If your DS plans to have a family as a journalist, that will be hard.

I used to be a science journalist. I'm early 40s and nearly all my journalist friends are working on other things. Press officers, content writers, social media managers, some are screenwriters, or enterpreneurs. There's not much to do in journalism if you want to be paid as an adult. (It's fun when you're 20 though)

In science journalism, most people in the UK studied science and then did a masters in science communication. I suggest your DS study that interests him (whatever it is) and then think about journalism later.

By the way, I think it's a shame. My skills from years of journalism are very helpful in many different jobs, but I wouldn't suggest working on this area for over 10 years to gain those skills (unless you are very rich and don't really need a career to pay the bills)

I've got a relative who is a reasonably successful freelance journalist - you've almost certainly read her work in big newspapers and magazines even if you wouldn't recognise her name.
She started doing work experience in local papers, various obscure magazines etc from about the age of 14. If I recall rightly her first published article was in an industry magazine about farm machinery! Basically she knocked on a lot of doors, repeatedly, and spent every school and university holiday at any publication who would have her. (As well as being vety involved in student magazines and radio.)There was a lot of coffee making and photocopying of course but it paid off and she did get credited on news reports in a major broadsheet when she was still at school. We don't have any journalists or writers in the family so no contacts which did make it harder bit she was very, very persistent. Probably a personality trait that is valued in the field I suppose!
She got good a good degree in English from an RG University and then did a Masters in Journalism in London, but I think the work experience, contacts built up and a great deal of resilience probably helped as much as the qualifications. She had some lean times at the beginning and it took years and a lot of persistence to establish herself in what is now her field of expertise. It's definitely not an easy job. I think her advice would be to start knocking on doors now, both to increase the chances of success and for your DS to learn more about the reality of the industry.

A friend of mine has been a deputy travel editor for two national papers. He has a BA in history and a masters in journalism.

I worked in PR and I would agree with others that have said it is low paid work and that print journalism is dying out. A lot of journalists end up moving on to PR/marketing after a while due to the low pay and diminishing roles.

That being said, my friend has had a fabulous time travelling around the world for a good while now!

Have an NCTJ qualification, as the NUJ are still a relatively closed shop

What do you mean? The NUJ is the union - anyone can join that but it won't help you get a job.

Yet again…. Oxbridge….

There we’re about 50 people on ds’s course. I think about 4 went to Oxbridge.

Yet all of them got jobs🤔

Im a journalist. I did an apprenticeship at a paper, they paid for my NCTJ and I've been in the biz ever since. I already had a degree in English before that.

Im also a travel journalist and I have to warn him it's extremely tough to get into. I side stepped from a diff dept. The pay is shit as well... but i do travel the world!

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow it's great how well your DS has done - and evidently he worked super hard at university - but the journalists I know who went to Oxford/ Cambridge/ St. Andrew's etc. didn't go on to do further degrees, we went straight into journalism. So maybe the route is either an excellent university- or a post grad at one of the universities you mention.

My friend is a journalist. She studied English at uni, and while we were there she also wrote for the uni newspaper (not sure if such a thing exists now!) which gave her lots of great experience

I have two journalist friends. One was an A* student who read English at Oxford. More importantly, she wrote, wrote and wrote. She ran the yearbook, the school mag and had countless articles published from about age 13/14. It’s her life and always has been. She’s not well paid but is employed rather than self employed now in her early 40s.

second one read English Lit at Edinburgh then a masters in publishing. Again, she reads and writes constantly. Sometimes she is so into her writing she stays in all weekend. She worked lots of random jobs such as in an optician, bars etc whilst writing for peanuts (or her blog for free). She has been a ghost writer numerous times also. She’s late 30s and not a high earlier but loves her work. She is a great all rounder who can research and write quickly.

So as far as I can see basically: he needs to love writing and words, to live and breathe them and to be happy to write a lot. Oh and deadlines! Sometimes they have peaks and troughs of work which can mean lots of all nighters.

And perhaps have a back up plan for part time work alongside.

Have someone in the family who's already a journalist. Have a rich family he can rely on to do unpaid internships. Have an NCTJ qualification, as the NUJ are still a relatively closed shop.

This but honestly? I would dissuade him with every ounce of my being. It's a terribly paid job, notorious for being a closed shop where who you know matters, anything remotely paid is dominated by those from public schools.

To even consider it I'd expect him to be/have the following:

• an excellent writer. Eg winning school prizes, writing for local publications
• loves writing. Probably keeps diaries and blogs, does the school paper and if it hasnt got one, tried to start one. Has sought out many opportunities to write outside of school - writing the sports match reports, reviewing things online.
• has looked for & got work experience - local papers, interest magazines - anything.

Do not do a journalism degree. They are generally offered by lower ranked universities with poorer academic standards and less connections.

Do a degree involving a lot of writing (english, history, law) at a well regarded university & move on to something NCTJ afterwards

Both Chris Mason and Adam Fleming studied geography, one at Oxford and the other at Cambridge.

I'm a grad of literature and journalism, erote for the uni paper and every decent site or mag I could get my hands on. I was a travel journalist for a couple of years after uni but now I work in PR like most of my peers. But I .also a published fiction writer and doubt I would be if it wasn't for the course.

Not solely studying Journalism was a good move - I'd suggest he does a dual course with another subject.

Like others have said it is very difficult to get into.

Please disregard my awful typos and don't judge my institution based on them - Im both tired and under the weather!

Retired magazine editor here. "In my day" the London College of Printing (now renamed "University of the Arts London") did highly respected courses that were pretty much guaranteed to get you a job. Their standards are very high.

Exactly.

I've been more fortunate than most and yet if i could go back to my younger self there are 100 career paths I'd advise in lieu of journalism. If not 1,000.

It's an honorable trade but it's a thankless slog with little job security. And i say that as one of the "lucky" ones.

Nowadays any semi-literate with a smartphone calls themselves a journalist. It's not worth it unless one has a private income on the side.