(This post is to appear on Journalism.co.uk soon as part of the Tomorrow’s News, Tomorrow’s Journalists series)
It’s sad to say that a journalism degree, NCTJ and a portfolio stuffed full of clippings seem to count for very little when it comes to applying for that first journalism job. The benchmark has been raised.
What now matters more than ever is innovative thinking, beyond that of the old-school skills (newsgathering, a concise writing style, a good knowledge of the audience, a wider interest in the subject matter and so on) that are still prerequisites.
Although some are natural pioneers and no doubt already have fantastic jobs on the back of their quick-thinking, willingness and original new journalism projects (I’m looking at you Josh Halliday), innovation is a skill that can be learnt.
Unfortunately education in the subject on innovation is to the sacrifice of your free time. The only way to become truly innovative is to know exactly what your competitors and colleagues are planning for the future at all times in order to stay one step ahead.
And how is this possible?
Twitter is one of the most important weapons in the arsenal. Start following all the important journalists (Stephen Davies’s blog has quite a comprehensive list and Muckrack is quite helpful although mostly US-based), PR/marketing figureheads and standout local people; listen to what they are saying and click the links they post.
But to be truly innovative you must go further than listening, posting where you went last night and shamelessly advertising your blog. Start interacting with your potential employers. Comment on their blog posts, send useful links around the topics they are talking about and link to their blog from yours. Often they may not reply, but your voice will have been heard. A tip to get that memorable interaction is to get yourself on Twitter outside the busy times. Tweet from bed at 7am and send your @replies when few people are about. You’re far more likely to receive some @replies back and start up a relationship.
Once Twitter is sussed the innovative journalist needs to interact from beyond the computer screen. After all, journalism is all about networking and contacts. There are masses of local journalism events (Especially in London) to attend that help fill up your address book but also help give you a wider knowledge of the buzz topics of the day.
Particular highlights include Schmooze and Booze, a massive young journo networking event now in its fifth year; Future of News Groups, which are springing up all around the UK; and the new Three Billion Club, which connects young creatives to media leaders and entrepreneurs.
The innovative journalist won’t just attend but they will participate. Offer to live blog from the event and set up a hashtag to Tweet throughout. Another tip is to turn up early and chat to whoever else is about while they still have time. Find out the running order and quickly research ideas in order to make some valid input. Use the event to keep your blog fresh and write a summary of the evening.
Make your blog your CV. Don’t just use it to post your old features and stories, use it as an open forum to discuss what’s important in your particular area. Update regularly and advertise your posts (Sparingly) on Twitter. Comment on other people’s blog posts and link what your reading to your updates.
Lastly, as much as possible, never say no. If you have the time to get involved in something journalism-related or something that could potentially lead to a story, do it, despite the fact that it is for free and will dent into your leisure time.
Any new participation with your name attached builds your brand equity on the web (Yes, Google has made you a brand. None of this ‘indie journalism’ nonsense round here.) and will teach you new skills, help to build new contacts and further your journalism knowledge.
Any experience is valuable as I learnt when I hesitantly said yes to being on the panel in a football podcast in June. Not only did I have great fun in the end but it proved invaluable when I was recently asked in a job interview if I had ever done anything for radio.
Much has been said of entrepreneurial journalism; being self-sufficient and starting your own project such as a hyperlocal news site. I have said in a previous post on my blog, not everyone has the time, money and the nouse to start up their own full-time projects (Especially if they’re having to hold down a full-time job until they get their journo break), but innovation can start small. Following the tips above will certainly put new journalists a step ahead of their peers who are using old-fashioned methods to break into the industry.
Using social media, attending events, blogging and participating in whatever is thrown at you will help make your idea pool less of a blank slate. You’ll know what is ground-breaking and have ideas on what needs to be done to improve new ideas that are already out there. You’ll have thought pieces to bring to interviews and you may even inspire lots of experienced journalists by having a less-veiled point of view. New journalists need to understand new journalism as much as their publication in order to keep ahead of their game.
And landing yourself in a top journalism role doesn’t mean you should stop implementing the skills above. Twitter, good networking skills and a wide up-to-date knowledge of the subjects of today will keep the new journalist’s writing and newsgathering new, informed and, most importantly (just in case you haven’t realised the theme of this post yet), innovative. New journalists can’t afford to leave the dayjob at work, they must constantly interact and challenge their industry if they are to become the ground-breaking seasoned journalists of tomorrow.
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Interesting reading Lara. New journalists really do need every string to their bow.
But whenever I read about what skills the new journalist needs, the fundamentals are often overlooked. The skills of the “old” journalist are almost taken for granted, when there’s so much value in them.
I agree with many of the points you make about innovation, and I agree that they’ll be the thing that makes you stand out. But I really think they’re just the added nth percent and people need to not be distracted by new techniques at the detriment of the old standards.
Hi Daniel, thanks for reading.
I do meniton the “old” skills too. They’re every bit as important. If you can’t get the fundamentals right then there’s no point trying to hone all the extra skills.