It’s a great, big world, and there’s a lot of news out there. But how do you go about spreading it? Whether you’re fresh out of school with a journalism degree or you’ve just decided that print journalism is your new-found passion, it can be overwhelming to try to jump into the fast-paced world of newspapers. Because make no mistake - reading them might make you think of a lazy Sunday morning, but the people who put them together mean serious business.
Where to Start
If you have very little experience, you shouldn’t expect to go straight to the top of the New York Times. In fact, you might not even be able to get your foot in their door.
What you can do, and what journalism expert Tony Rogers recommends, is finding weekly community newspapers or medium-sized local newspapers. Here, you have a chance to learn how a newspaper actually works. You get the benefit of lower-staffed papers, which means that everyone works multiple positions (most of the time). The pace isn’t quite as rambunctious, either, so you have time to slow down and learn how to be a real-deal journalist. There’s also a good chance there will be people who have been around for quite awhile, who will be willing to offer you good advice and act as a mentor. It’s also a good way to start making contacts in the biz.
Where to Be
Just as location is everything in order to be there to catch the story, so it is to catch the job. Although some careers can take off anywhere across the country, New York, Atlanta, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are prime spots in the US, because that’s where the big companies are.
Where to Look
While there are a million websites devoted to matching up people to their dream job, don’t leave out the good ole fashioned classified sections. Yes, newspapers do post their own want ads. In addition, finding the job there gives you the added bonus of showing that you’re familiar with their paper.
The Associated Press is a great place for budding journalists as well. Although the company is huge, the individual bureaus are not. You work twice as hard as you do anywhere else, and later, jobs will be a piece of cake (or at least not absolutely terrifying). If you haven’t already had an internship, it’s another great place to start. Again, you will make great contacts and show the people in charge what you can do. Leaning on your internship experience from another company can also give you ideas for showing your potential boss what you can bring to the table.
