6 Essential Requirements for Journalist Jobs in India

Journalism is an important job in today’s digital age. Whether you are writing for print media or for online media, whether you are covering local stories or global events, this is one profession which demands lot of sheer hard work, patience, and most important of all, to remain neutral and unbiased. Not all are cut out to be in journalist jobs, inspite of having the best writing talent that one can ask for. In today’s age, though journalism is a lucrative career option, yet for many, this job has lost its age-old charm because of “yellow journalism”. There are certain essential requirements that make you suitable for a journalist career.

6 Essential Requirements for Journalist Jobs in India

Qualities ranging from strong writing to analytical skills including specialist knowledge are no doubt necessary to become a successful journalist. But, there are other requirements too to make journalism the right career path for you.

Principled, High Moral and Ethical Standards

Remember, when you take up journalist jobs, it means you have to work on a public domain where you get a chance to meet, interact with people of diverse backgrounds and come across situations which may not be as per your liking. There are some ethics of journalism that need to be followed which comprise law, professional norms, instructions, good manners, and politeness. You should be able to work to high ethical and moral standards, give an unbiased view with no personal motives, and maintain credibility in your report.

Analytical and quick-witted

You should have an analytical bent of mind to understand a situation and should be quick-witted to use a situation to your advantage. An essential part of your job is to provide complete and correct picture of the situation/issue at hand to your readers. This means that you need to be observant and should be able to pick up details that others might ignore or miss. You need to able to make use of facts and evidence to uncover the truth to put forward an accurate story for your readers.

Desire to gather more info

Another essential requirement to do well in journalist jobs is to remain curious all the time. You should have that inherent desire or thirst to gather more information, facts and events to make your story more interesting and credible. Curiosity is needed in journalist jobs.

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Language and writing skillsOf course, for journalist jobs, having excellent language and writing skills is a very important requirement. Even if you are a graduate with specialization in journalism, but if you are not strong in writing with outstanding grammar and punctuation, and if you do not have proof reading skills, you are not fit to be a journalist. Additional language skills, especially foreign languages, can help you to be in a global journalism career.

You should love your work and remain energetic

No matter how many hours you work in a day and in what changing environment most of the time, you should love what you do. You should be energetic and passionate towards your journalism career. Only then you will be able to do well in a fast-paced environment. You should remain updated with current affairs and should be able to track down stories and facts as fast as possible.

To be able to deal with controversial issues

Journalist jobs are often associated with controversial issues. You can be linked with political parties, political leaders, and business tycoons. There can be many controversial issues that lead to criticism, disagreement, or even hatred or just strong feelings. To do well in this career, it is necessary to be tough and confident enough to handle controversial issues, and stay open-minded and impartial. You should be able to handle criticisms in a positive way.