What do you have to know besides how to write or type to be a journalist?

Question

i think i want to be a journalist and i just want to find out all the small details.

Answer 1

These days the answer is different than it used to be.

Not too long ago, it used to be a desire to get at the truth, regardless of your personal feelings. Then the ability to present all sides of the argument to allow readers to draw their own conclusion.

    Walter Cronkite is the embodiment of this philosophy. Watch old footage of him and see his detached way of presenting the news. The one thing he seldom did was to draw a conclusion. That wasn't an accident. He knew true journalists were only supposed to present the facts, not draw conclusions or sensationalize them. These were the days where you could get your news from only one source and feel confident you had all the facts.

    Unfortunately..., those days are gone and the reputation of the journalist  being the voice of the truth is too. If you are thinking about becoming a journalist, realize what it was not too long ago and try to adhere to those principals.

    Other skills you will need include a extensive knowledge and ability to do research. Interviewing skills..., that get to the heart of the matter, are also imperative. Any news worth reporting, will take lots of digging and lots of clever conversation and interviewing to reveal the "whole" truth.

    Writing of course..., is an essential talent required of any journalist, but it won't do you spit if you don't have the ability to find and reveal the truth about what you plan on writing about.