A journalist researches and gathers important information to share with the public, usually regarding a specific topic such as world news, local news, sports, entertainment, etc.
Journalist
Journalist
VIRTUAL JOB SHADOW
Welcome to your first day on the job! Watch this video to see what a day in the life of a Journalist is like.
Click for salary, education, & more: Journalist (periodista)
One of the reasons why journalists are so important to their communities is because they bring attention to issues that would otherwise often go unnoticed. In this activity, you’ll investigate a topic of your choice that is relevant to your community.
STEP 1: Decide on a topic you could create a story on that impacts your community. Your story could be about something as simple as highlighting the impact of friendly neighborly acts, to emphasizing the need for recycling in your community. Have a clear idea of what you want the message of your story to be; this will help you later on when you write your final story.
STEP 2: Now that you’ve selected a topic, gather information from at least three sources that will provide useful information on your story topic (examples include interviewing neighbors, researching community statistics online, and checking social media posts about the topic). If you’re interviewing people as a source, prepare a list of questions to ask them. For other sources, have a goal for what you hope to learn.
STEP 3: Start following up on your sources! Remember to ask ahead of time if you want to hold an interview. Write down your questions, goals, and findings from your 3 sources. Also include what you learn from them and how that relates to your story on your spreadsheet. (If you haven’t already be sure to watch the virtual job shadow video at the top of this page to see how this looks in real life.)
STEP 4: It’s time to write your story! This can be as short or as long as you want; it depends on what you need to say! If needed, try this format: Write an introduction and conclusion that clearly gives the reader an idea of what the story is about. Then, for the middle, write three paragraphs each highlighting your research from one of your sources.
STEP 5: Share your story in the Student Showcase to build your resume as a journalist! If you think you have a really good one, email your story to hello@careerinstem.com and we will consider it for publication on our blog!