Is it hard to become a journalist?

Question

Is it hard to become a journalist?

Answer 1

any job is difficult if your heart is not in the right place.

Answer 2

There are a many great ways to get into journalism.

Most folks arrive either by working for a school or local paper first or by going to journalism school.  The path isn't easy, and you need to be very dedicated to journalism, as the hours are long and the pay is low. You'll need to pay your dues, cover a wide range of assignments (many of them boring before you get to the exciting stuff), and be very bold -- which can be tough for some people.

But journalists are often fascinating people who are very engaged in life and passionate about letting the public know what is really going on in various corners of the world around us. It can be an incredibly rewarding career both intellectually and emotionally.

A really comprehensive answer to your question requires a lot more space than we have here. But here are 3 good sites to get you started -- they have a lot more great advice if you're considering journalism:

http://journalism.about.com/od/journalis...

http://www.journalismjobs.com/career_adv...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/con...  (this is a helpful interview to read)

And here are 3 of the top journalism grad schools:

http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/

http://www.medill.northwestern.edu/journ...

http://www.journalism.missouri.edu/

If you're interested in speaking with and working with successful journalists to learn more about breaking into the field, we can put you in touch with TV, Radio or Print journalists who can help you. Visit us at http://www.PrepSession.com to book an advice session, or call us at 888-501-PREP.  

Hope this was helpful! Good luck!