The ins and outs of being a new journalist
Hard work, long hours, and being under pressure to stick to deadlines all form part of being a journalist, says Review journalist, Nadia Bradbury
For some, the idea of being a journalist might seem glamorous, given the various events, VIP access, interviewing famous people like sport stars and singers, but that could not be further from the truth.
Hard work, long hours, and being under pressure to stick to deadlines all form part of being a journalist. In my opinion, being a journalist has two sides, one is attending events and capturing the moment in order to share it with the public and then the race to write a great piece and submit it before the deadline comes knocking on your door.
When I first started working at the Review, my co-workers were extremely helpful showing me the ropes and giving me advice on how to build up contacts, source stories, finding the right angle to write a good article as well as giving me helpful tips on how to get the best out of each event to write a great story.
It is a job that is in constant flux because one moment you might be taking photos of school sport and the next you get called to cover a major accident that happened. Each day is different depending on what happens in the community.
The best part for me is being able to make a difference within the community, by highlighting problems which then get resolved. It most definitely is a challenging job for which one should have a passion. It definitely is not something that you “just do”. Being a journalist is something you are, which demands a lot of dedication, determination to persist until you have all the information that you need.
It is definitely interesting and one gets to meet a variety of interesting people. I think it is a amazing job that teaches one a lot about life as you chase after interesting newsworthy stories.
