by Christine Maguire

Created on: May 26, 2008

Broadcast journalism refers to radio or television, local or national, on public service broadcasting, or for a commercial broadcasting company. There is a lot of competition in this field. Journalism is highly competitive anyway, and broadcast journalism is often seen as more glamorous, therefore it is in even higher demand.

A degree is almost mandatory , as most of your competition will have one, especially one in journalism. This means that you need more to secure you dream job. There are post graduate courses available in broadcasting, and the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTBJ), which is made up of representatives from organizations within the radio and television industry, offers one year diploma courses. They are like the driving license of journalism in the UK, many employers will look for this qualification when hiring.

In order to succeed in this area, you must have the ability to research and gather stories as a reporter. A broadcaster must go out and find stories. You must then have the skill to tell the story comfortably and coherently. It is vital to be comfortable in front of the camera or microphone.

You must also have a vast knowledge of the world around you. You will have to report on a number of topics, and by familiarizing yourself with what is in the media, you will be more aware of what the public want to hear about.

Work experience will help. Employers want to see that you are really interested in the area, and that you have been in a similar environment before. It shows you are serious about broadcasting. Experience plays a huge part in securing a job. Local radio is the key, as they will generally take on volunteers, as will student and community radio stations
Apply for a job at a radio station as a reporter. This is a good starting point for those who are looking to make it on television, as it is near impossible to walk straight onto an on screen position.

Research skills are necessary to become a good reporter, and a contact book is important. You must build up any contacts you make, even if they seem irrelevant, as you never know when you will need to use them.

Interview skills will help build your reputation. If you can conduct a professional interview it will stand to you. A Dictaphone is a necessity. You should practice using one and be confident about using it in interviews. Research your interviewee thoroughly, and have open-ended questions prepared, which will provide you with the best answers from your interviewee. Be a good listener, and work on the ability to coax interesting content from those you are interviewing.

If you can edit your own work early on, it will work to your advantage. It is a time-consuming task, where you take the best parts of the interview, cutting the rest. As a broadcaster, you will often have to put together your own pieces, or vox pops. Show your employers your ability early on.
In relation to television broadcasting, you must also incorporate pictures into your report. You must master the skill to tell a story, suing the right pictures to do so. There is a great deal of editing involved in this job, as finding the right pictures to use can take a long time.
It is a good idea to get experience with a video camera yourself, so that you are familiar with how they work, and what is involved in editing film.
Television reporters work as a team, with a camera crew. You will need to work together and take their advice, and also communicate your vision with them.

If you really want to become a broadcast journalist, you must be extremely dedicated and hard working. You must be determined, flexible and willing to work your way up from the bottom.

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