Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Helpful Dos and Don’ts To Help You Succeed After Taking JournalismCourses

Journalism courses are most suitable for people who have passion for writing and find satisfaction in being the source of information with regard to different happenings locally or around the globe. Unlike before that such courses are only offered in Universities, there is much more leeway for aspiring journalists courtesy of distance education. Through this teaching approach, busy individuals can still learn and acquire essential skills and knowledge to help them enjoy the numerous benefits of being a writer or even a free lance journalist. Furthermore, there are organizations that offer correspondence courses that go beyond teaching academic skills but also include lessons on how to start a journalism career like the ways on approaching an editor, article presentation, and sourcing, among others.

If you are interested in taking Journalism courses thru the above mentioned mode of learning, you are fortunate because things would be much more convenient for you considering that you will dictate your own schedule and your own pace. Hence, if you want to finish early or if you want to take your time, it is all up to you. Nevertheless, after finishing your studies, here are some helpful dos and don’ts that will help you succeed in this area:

Dos

  • Do stay alert all the time – stories worthy of being reported can happen anytime and anywhere; hence, you should always be aware of all the things going on around you.

  • Do be aware of current reports – always be thirsty for new information as you need to be updated with current events and other news from any subject matter, not only those that interest you.

  • Do learn how to connect with people – never discriminate; remember that every person has a story to tell and you will be amazed that some of the more exciting and unforgettable stories are from those you wouldn’t normally talk with if you keep your judgmental stand.

  • Do read a lot - be a voracious reader; read all kinds of reading materials from different authors so that you are expose to different writing styles as this will help you to come up with your own signature writing style.

Don’ts

  • Don’t make things complicated – you better start with the basics or the most simple so that the receiver of your story wouldn’t have a hard time understanding what you want to convey. Once you get used to relaying information in a simple way, only then can you try to share stories in a more complex manner.

  • Don’t wait for news to come to you, look around you – you cannot expect to be a successful journalist when you are not exerting any effort or just staying in one corner not interacting with the world.

  • Don’t be loyal to one reading material – if you have the tendency to read only one newspaper everyday it is about time you change the habit. Reading different materials will help you to have a better appreciation of how different papers tackle their audience.

  • Don’t forget to enrich your vocabulary – if you are going to write for a living you need to be aware of the different ways to convey information, if not, your audience wouldn’t bother reading something boring and common.

  • Don’t lie – one of the most important qualities of a reputable journalist is integrity. If you purposely provide inaccurate details just to make your stories interesting, then you do not have what it takes to be in the business. Good journalists are those who have the talent for delivering common information in the most interesting way.

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