Journalist
Investigate events, get the facts and communicate these to the public.
Also known as: staff writer, reporter, news reporter, news journalist, multimedia journalist, feature writer, digital journalist, broadcast journalist
About the job
Career insights – Journalist
What it's like
Could you be Scotland's next top television, radio or print journalist? In this role, you'll investigate and gather information to report to the public. You'll need to hunt down facts and present them clearly – in a way that's informative and interesting to your audience.
Journalism is a fast-paced career and you'll have tight deadlines. Your reports must be truthful and fair. All journalists follow editorial standards, regulatory rules and the law.
You can work across many areas of journalism. For example, you may write articles for a newspaper or produce video reports for a television news channel. You could also script and deliver news bulletins on the radio, create social media content or write features for a magazine.
All media professionals should have a variety of multimedia and digital skills. For instance, you may be asked to use video editing software or publish articles using an online content management system.
You could also specialise in a specific subject such as sport, politics or entertainment. Some journalists work as critics – reviewing things like restaurants, theatre shows, television programmes or cars. You may even host a podcast! With experience, you could progress into an editor role.
Your tasks might include:
investigating stories as they happen
getting in touch with people who have information that's relevant to a story you're working on
interviewing people and taking notes or using recording technology to capture what they're saying
attending events such as press conferences, court hearings or council meetings
using audio or video equipment when capturing stories
coming up with ideas for new stories and features
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
The Radio Academy – find advice about starting your career in radio
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Careers – explore job opportunities at the BBC
ITV Careers – check out job opportunities at ITV
Channel 4 Careers – discover job opportunities at Channel 4
National Union for Journalists (NUJ) – learn about one of the largest independent journalists' unions in the world
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Other careers that you might like
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Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
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Creative
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- time management
- taking initiative
- attention to detail
- researching
- observation
- creative
- written communication
- verbal communication
- listening
- cooperating
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Modern Languages
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English
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Gaelic (Learners)
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Gàidhlig
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History
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Media
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Modern Studies
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Politics
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Skills for Work: Creative Digital Media
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Skills for Work: Creative Industries
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Creative and Digital Media
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
There are many routes you can take to become a journalist.
If you want to go to university or college, look for a course that's accredited. Many courses are accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ), the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) or the Professional Publishers Association.
University
A degree may be helpful for getting into this job. You could study subjects, such as:
Journalism
Media and Communication or Media Studies
Broadcast Journalism
Multimedia Journalism
English or English Literature
International Relations or Politics
Sociology
History
Criminology
Languages
If you have a degree in a different subject, you could apply for a Master's or another postgraduate course.
Use the My World of Work course search to find degrees and postgraduate courses.
College
Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, could help you secure a job or progress to more advanced study. Useful subjects include:
Practical Journalism
Media and Communication
Creative Industries: Media and Communication
Social Sciences
Creative Writing
Apprenticeships
Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) mean you learn on the job. You get paid and work towards a qualification at the same time. You might want to consider an MA in Creative Media.
Work
You can become a journalist by getting an entry-level job and working your way up. For example, you could start as an office assistant or trainee reporter at a smaller news outlet.
Use the My World of Work job search to look for job vacancies.
Being able to show a portfolio of work is useful when applying for jobs and courses. This could be a selection of articles you've written or a showreel demonstrating examples of video and audio work.
Volunteering experience in a news room or similar environment may help you find paid shifts or a permanent role. Contact local newspapers, radio or TV stations to ask for work experience. You could also use Volunteer Scotland to find opportunities.
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