Newspapers
There are many different types of jobs to choose from if you decide the newspaper field is one in which you are interested. Reporting is one aspect. Editorials, current events, sports, consumer reports and entertainment are all part of the newspaper. These are just a few of the features normally printed in your newspaper. There are also politics, police news, religion, and other areas of interest to the public that are printed in the newspaper.
News correspondents cover all types of news stories around the area in which they work as well as on a statewide and nationwide basis. Sometimes reporters for smaller newspapers may have to do the job of more than just reporting. They may have to take their own photos to accompany their stories. They may also have to do some office work such as selling advertising, getting the final pages ready for printing, and proofreading stories that are going to print.
This can be one of the best media jobs if you have a love of writing combined with a love of reporting. There are many people who start in the newspaper business to get the experience for advancement to television at a later date.
Television
Another field for the best media jobs is television. This may entail working with photographers, editors, or other people in this field in order to get stories ready for broadcast. Some reporters work on their own stories, and a work in progress may take weeks of investigative work to get the story they are ultimately after. There are also newscasters who just report the news as it is gathered by others. They may do weather forecasts or sports news. Some of these media specialists are actually meteorologists that report their own forecasts.
Reporters, news analysts and those who work in the field as correspondents may be particularly busy when covering a big story. There may deadlines to meet to get the news out in a timely fashion. Every reporter wants to break the news to the public first which helps them to rank high on the scale of news reporting. The reporters who have jobs that take them into foreign countries may find their accommodations somewhat primitive and the situation could be dangerous as well.
Internet
A media jobs Web site may employ people who are interested in graphic arts or illustrating. This is a position for someone who is creative and is good under pressure. The typical Internet media employee will be able to do just about anything they need to do using a computer. The deadlines are strict and the rewards are very good if you are creative and enjoy this type of work.
From publishing to advertising, the Internet media field will pay well if you are creative enough. Having some talent does not hurt either. The salary for these types of jobs can range from $38,000 to $60,000 and up.
What Do Media Jobs Pay?
The world of media actually pays quite well, depending upon the type of work in which you are interested. The normal salary for reporters may start at $18,000 for the beginner and top $69,000 if the reporter is an experienced reporter. Of course, there are higher-paying jobs for well-known reporters, and the area in which you work will affect earnings. The type of position you hold is another factor.
Graphic artists as well as others in this field can expect to start at approximately $38,000 per year; specialization can lead to more money. For instance, the medical illustrator may make double what a regular graphic artist makes. Media jobs Web sites are available if you are interested in this type of work.
Education
The reporter who has skills relating to computers, graphics, word processing, and publishing will fare well in this field. The ability to be an expert at finding data is another required skill. Some reporters need to have a good working knowledge of photography as well.
Normally the person looking for a reporter career should have a bachelor’s degree in either communications or journalism. Experience is another aspect employers look at when deciding upon a person to fill a position. The specialty interests you acquire from working in this field are another consideration. This is due to the larger media jobs requiring experience of their new hires.
If this is the field you know from an early age that you would like to go into, high school is the perfect place to get your start. The classes in journalism, English, political science, writing, social studies, and economics will all be helpful to the student who wants this type of career. Foreign languages and computers are two more areas of study that will be very beneficial.
Reporting can be a very exciting and rewarding career if this is the profession you choose. By being a part of the news reporting industry, you help record history.
