Journalism
This page contains all notes on _____ over and above what we put in our career profile. Read the profile first, here.
Contents
Profile type
Exploratory
What is this career path?
"Journalism is the dissemination of verifiable information through public media." [1]
"The journalist places the public good above all else and uses certain methods – the foundation of which is a discipline of verification – to gather and assess what he or she finds."[2]
"This “journalistic truth” is a process that begins with the professional discipline of assembling and verifying facts. Then journalists try to convey a fair and reliable account of their meaning, subject to further investigation."[3]
"Seeking out multiple witnesses, disclosing as much as possible about sources, or asking various sides for comment, all signal such standards. This discipline of verification is what separates journalism from other forms of communication such as propaganda, advertising, fiction, or entertainment."[4]
What are the people like?
Personal fit
Entry requirements.
Who should especially consider this?
What does it take to progress?
Barriers
Career capital
Common exits
Culture
Exploration value
Role impact
Direct impact potential
"That value flows from its purpose, to provide people with verified information they can use to make better decisions" [5]
"The purpose of journalism is thus to provide citizens with the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives, their communities, their societies, and their governments." [6]
"Journalism has an unusual capacity to serve as watchdog over those whose power and position most affect citizens. It may also offer voice to the voiceless. Being an independent monitor of power means “watching over the powerful few in society on behalf of the many to guard against tyranny,” Kovach and Rosenstiel write." [7]
Earnings potential
Advocacy potential
"Journalism is a good path if you want to effect social change, but that change may be defined quite differently than it would be at a philanthropy or advocacy organization. Providing good information and analysis is a public good in itself. You’ve also got a public platform to promote neglected concerns. And there’s been a renaissance of new news outlets that openly embrace advocacy and point of view journalism."
Job satisfaction
Alternatives
Academia
"Journalists have to work faster than academics, so people who like to analyze a problem carefully over a long time (as do many of those interested in effective altruism), developing arguments or constructing proofs, might find the pace frustrating." [8]
Past experience
Take action
Learn more
Next steps
"If you want to get a job in journalism, apply to any news organization that interests you, including all the major media organisations. Set some priorities – pay, location, size of organization, type of work, etc and select among them based on your top several priorities once you’ve got offers. “I applied to over 70 organisations. I got two offers, only one of which paid more than $10,000, so I went with that!” [9]
