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Society & Culture1 min ago
Journalism
5 Answers
I enjoy writing and I was wondering; how easy/hard would it be to get in to journalism. I'm thinking more of gossip columnist, as in the ones that go to the parties and find out stuff and basically write in magazines like heat or OK etc. ?! xx
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Journalists fall into two categories:
1. Staff writers: These are employees of the magazine. Those who work for Heat and OK will normally be very experienced journalists who've started 'at the bottom' (e.g. writing reports of flower shows, for minimal pay, for a local newspaper) and worked their way through the system to get to their present position. It's unlikely that their jobs were ever advertised as they were probably 'head-hunted' from other journals by their new editor.
2. Freelance journalists: These are writers who are not directly employed by the magazines they write for. In the early stages of their career, they have to write their articles, then send them to magazines in the hope that they'll get published. (i.e. they can spend many hours writing articles for which, if they're rejected, they will get paid nothing). If they become known and trusted by a particular magazine they might start to receive 'commissions'. (i.e. the magazine will agree, in advance, to buy an article which they require).
The writers who report on the celebrity parties, etc, are there for one of the following reasons:
1. The host has invited the magazine to send someone along. This might be a staff writer or it could be a freelance to whom they've given a commission. Either way, it will almost certainly be an extremely experienced journalist.
2. They're a freelance journalist whom the party host trusts to provide some positive coverage of the event. Elton John certainly won't be inviting some unknown writer to cover one of his parties. So, once again, the writer will be very experienced.
1. Staff writers: These are employees of the magazine. Those who work for Heat and OK will normally be very experienced journalists who've started 'at the bottom' (e.g. writing reports of flower shows, for minimal pay, for a local newspaper) and worked their way through the system to get to their present position. It's unlikely that their jobs were ever advertised as they were probably 'head-hunted' from other journals by their new editor.
2. Freelance journalists: These are writers who are not directly employed by the magazines they write for. In the early stages of their career, they have to write their articles, then send them to magazines in the hope that they'll get published. (i.e. they can spend many hours writing articles for which, if they're rejected, they will get paid nothing). If they become known and trusted by a particular magazine they might start to receive 'commissions'. (i.e. the magazine will agree, in advance, to buy an article which they require).
The writers who report on the celebrity parties, etc, are there for one of the following reasons:
1. The host has invited the magazine to send someone along. This might be a staff writer or it could be a freelance to whom they've given a commission. Either way, it will almost certainly be an extremely experienced journalist.
2. They're a freelance journalist whom the party host trusts to provide some positive coverage of the event. Elton John certainly won't be inviting some unknown writer to cover one of his parties. So, once again, the writer will be very experienced.
(continued) . .
So the only way that anyone can specialise in this type of reporting is to start at the bottom and work up. (The only exception, of course, is you happen to be a relative or friend of a celebrity to start with. Then you'll get the party invitations and you can try your hand at reporting the events).
Most people who work as staff writers for newspapers and magazines have received formal training in journalism, often at university. See here for details:
http://www.learndirect-advice.co.uk/helpwithyourcareer/j obprofiles/profiles/profile124/
(If you follow this 'formal' route into journalism, you'll probably have to start working on a local newspaper before you can move on to working for magazines. This can be interesting but it can also be boring and repetitious [e.g. reporting on lots of golden wedding anniversaries] or distressing [e.g. interviewing the mother of a child killed in a road accident] ).
So the only way that anyone can specialise in this type of reporting is to start at the bottom and work up. (The only exception, of course, is you happen to be a relative or friend of a celebrity to start with. Then you'll get the party invitations and you can try your hand at reporting the events).
Most people who work as staff writers for newspapers and magazines have received formal training in journalism, often at university. See here for details:
http://www.learndirect-advice.co.uk/helpwithyourcareer/j obprofiles/profiles/profile124/
(If you follow this 'formal' route into journalism, you'll probably have to start working on a local newspaper before you can move on to working for magazines. This can be interesting but it can also be boring and repetitious [e.g. reporting on lots of golden wedding anniversaries] or distressing [e.g. interviewing the mother of a child killed in a road accident] ).
(last bit) . . .
Many freelance writers have also received formal training (and may, also, have worked for local newspapers). This is not essential though. Journalism is one of the few professions which doesn't insist on formal qualifications. As long as your writing is good enough, you will (eventually) get your work accepted. Starting out as a freelance, however, can be extremely difficult. Nobody is going to give an unknown writer a commission, so you have to write lots and lots of article and send them in 'on spec'. In the early stages, the vast majority of those articles will get rejected which means many hundreds of hours are spent working for nothing.
If you really think you can write, the only way to see if newspaper or magazine editors like your work is to send them something to see if they'll publish it. I received my first payment for sports writing when I was 14. Later, I taught a 15-year-old lad who (because of his specialist knowledge) wrote regular columns for two computer magazines and was already earning a good deal of money for his freelance work.
Chris
PS: Just to put things into perspective -
I would reckon that, if you want to get invited to all of the big celebrity bashes, it would be far easier to become an internationally-famous rock star than it would be to get invited there as a journalist.
Many freelance writers have also received formal training (and may, also, have worked for local newspapers). This is not essential though. Journalism is one of the few professions which doesn't insist on formal qualifications. As long as your writing is good enough, you will (eventually) get your work accepted. Starting out as a freelance, however, can be extremely difficult. Nobody is going to give an unknown writer a commission, so you have to write lots and lots of article and send them in 'on spec'. In the early stages, the vast majority of those articles will get rejected which means many hundreds of hours are spent working for nothing.
If you really think you can write, the only way to see if newspaper or magazine editors like your work is to send them something to see if they'll publish it. I received my first payment for sports writing when I was 14. Later, I taught a 15-year-old lad who (because of his specialist knowledge) wrote regular columns for two computer magazines and was already earning a good deal of money for his freelance work.
Chris
PS: Just to put things into perspective -
I would reckon that, if you want to get invited to all of the big celebrity bashes, it would be far easier to become an internationally-famous rock star than it would be to get invited there as a journalist.
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