· someone who is curious about new things and who has a wide range of interests.

· someone who can view various sides of a situation and present the facts fairly.

· someone who understands other people, and knows what they care about.

· someone who can take complicated ideas and facts and write about them clearly.

· someone who can sift through many facts and present only the important ones.

· someone who wants to explain a new fact, a new issue, or a new idea to other people.

From : The Young Journalist’s Book: How to Write and Produce Your Own Newspaper by Nancy Bentley

Journalism is, in most respects, the backbone of the media industry. Therefore many media jobs require some aspect of journalism. The type of writing a journalist does depends largely on the subject they cover. Another thing which affects a journalist’s job is the outlet they produce news for: TV, the Internet, a newspaper, etc.

That being said, a “traditional” journalist reports the news. What does that mean? Well it can mean various things. The standard image of a journalist, and one often portrayed in movies, is of someone working a beat for a newspaper and finding stories. Which begs the question: What is a beat?

Working a Beat

A beat is a media term for the area, or topic, a journalist covers. So a beat could be anything from local crime, to national news to Hollywood movies. Beats can be very specific, or broader, depending on the kind of publication you’re working for. A mid-size daily newspaper, for example, will have reporters covering everything from local police goings-on to local sports.

Why You Need a Beat

A journalist’s job is to report the news. To find the news, you need to understand the subject matter and the people you’re writing about. Let’s say you’re working a crime beat for a newspaper in Chicago. One morning the police report that there’s been a murder in a posh neighborhood of the city. Now, in order to write about that murder, you need to know what’s been going on in the city. Is this an isolated incident? Was there a similar crime two weeks ago? Two years ago?

People always discuss the five pillars of journalism or the Five Ws — who, what, where, when and why — and, the “why,” section can only be filled out by someone with a background and knowledge of their beat. If, for example, you were asked to write about the aforementioned murder in Chicago, and didn’t know anything about the city or the recent criminal activity there, you wouldn’t be able to cover the story in the best way. Because, let’s face it, the story is very different if it’s a random act instead of a potential sign of a crime spree or, let’s say, a serial murderer.

Developing Sources

The other big reason journalists work beats, aside from developing a deep knowledge of the subject they’re covering, is to develop sources. Sources are people you talk to report a story. Now some sources are obvious. If we continue with the example of working as a crime reporter in Chicago, you would have regular sources in the police department. Now some would be obvious — you would likely speak to a spokesperson for the department whose job it is to handle reporters (a kind of publicist) — but other contacts might be developed from relations you foster over years of covering a beat.

A journalist often refers to their sources — everyone knows the saying, ‘I can’t reveal my sources’ — because these are people they turn to get inside information, or perspective, on a story. Now that bit about “revealing” sources points to an instance when a journalist gets an important piece of information from a person who does not want their identity revealed. If, for example, you’re working on that story about the murder in Chicago and you get information from someone in the police department that the murder looks like it might be the work of a serial killer, that officer might not want his name given out. After all, he’s giving you information that might get him in trouble. So, when you write the story about the murder, you wouldn’t name your source or reveal his identity to anyone. (If you did reveal his identity, no one would ever want to give you secret information, or information that people in business refer to as stuff that’s “off the record.”)

When a journalist works a beat over time they develop a multitude of sources. This means that they know who to call when something happens and they know the people who will talk to them. A good journalist establishes solid relationships with his sources so he can turn to them to get information. Although people don’t always like talking to reporters — especially when the story is about a scandal or something negative — a good journalist will have sources who recognize that there is a positive in getting a story out, and getting it out correctly. In other words, a good journalist will develop a respectful relationship with his sources.

Source:  About.com

1. Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth.
2. Its first loyalty is to the citizens.
3. Its essence is discipline of verification.
4. Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover.
5. It must serve as an independent monitor of power.
6. It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise.
7. It must strive to make the significant interesting, and relevant.
8. It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional.
9. Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience.

In the April 2007 edition of the book [2], they have added one additional element, the rights and responsibilities of citizens to make it a total of ten elements of journalism.

Source: Wikipedia

Journalism is not just

* fact-finding
* media analysis
* opinion writing, or
* commentary

although all of those aspects can play a part at times.

What do beginning journalists do?

Journalists who are starting their careers normally do not do commentary or opinion pieces. Rather, they cover hard news stories such as community news, courts, crime and speeches by notable people. In broadcast, beginning journalists also may do pre-interviews and research for senior journalists.

An entry-level reporter often does “general assignment” stories rather than stories for a specific beat. General assignment stories are given out to reporters by the city desk or assignment editor.

Is journalism for you?

Asking yourself the questions below will help you determine whether journalism is a good career choice for you.

* Do you regularly read at least one newspaper or consult an online equivalent, such as GlobeandMail.com?
* Do you regularly watch or listen to television or radio newscasts?
* Is it important to you to keep up with current events?
* Are you interested in other people’s lives?
* Are you able to talk to a wide variety of people?
* Do you work well to deadlines?
* Are you persistent and willing to dig for information?
* Have you mastered basic writing skills? (see below for expectations)

If you answered NO to even one of the above questions, you may want to think again about whether journalism is a good match for your interests and abilities.

What does the Journalism Program at Western cover?

The Master of Arts in Journalism is a well-rounded, professional program that prepares graduates for entry-level positions in newsrooms. The program stresses a balance of academic and practical courses and offers a solid grounding in the basic tools and practices of print, broadcast and online journalism. The curriculum of the Master of Arts in Journalism program is not focused on producing graduates to work in public relations or communications positions.

Expectation of writing ability in the journalism program

It is expected that students entering the MA in Journalism program have mastered basic writing skills, including grammar, syntax and the ability to conceptualize and articulate ideas in writing. It is also expected that students possess the ability to write in English at a post-graduate level. The Admissions Panel assumes that the entrance essay provided by applicants is entirely their own work and is an accurate reflection of their writing ability. Journalism, by necessity, requires that its practitioners produce clean, competent copy on deadline, often without the benefit of external editing or extensive rewriting. Students who do not meet the expectations of writing may not achieve marks necessary for progression and could be required to withdraw from the program.

Source: What is journalism