What Does a Journalist Do?

Journalism dates back centuries, with the first newspaper believed to have been published in Germany in 1605. Over 300 years later, the first journalist went to air on the very first television newscast in the United States, and today journalists work in every type of media, from print, TV and radio broadcasts to the ever-popular and modern internet and social media realm.

Media, in all its different forms, has journalists at its heart. Whether the issue is politics, culture, education, religion or society – or anything else – the conveying of information in a mass format is an indispensable task that will continue to evolve throughout time.

Journalists research, investigate, analyse and report on an almost endless range of topics, providing an ideal career outlet for inquisitive, investigative, curious and adaptive people that develops writing, research and communication skills.

Studies in journalism open up a range of potentially lucrative opportunities in the world of print and electronic media. Jobs in print media range from newspapers to magazines. The world of electronic media is equally vast, including television, radio and internet work, while both areas of journalism include the possibility of specialising in a certain field, including politics, finance, leisure, entertainment, education, technology and much more. Many journalists also work outside the traditional media realm, for instance in the world of advertising and education.

Qualifications in journalism depend in part on the direction you would like your career to head in, ranging from the entry-level and TAFE that you can study online from Certificate IV , all the way to postgraduate courses. There are also other, related undergraduate and government funded studies in the area of journalism, including Bachelor of Communication (Media Studies) and
Certificate IV in Screen and Media.

Like many traditional career sectors, journalism is constantly changing. While the typical journalist mere decades ago may have been a writer or broadcaster who worked for newspapers, radio and television, the digital world is rapidly transforming the world of media, including the rise and dominance of online formats as well as the popularity and power of social media and ever-developing mobile, hand-hand technology.

Students who successfully complete studies in journalism can apply for roles in broadcast and print media and publishing, as well as editing, copy-editing, sub-editing, copy-writing, and also several other related fields, such as advertising, research, multimedia and public relations.