What should a journalist be like? What qualities should he have? Can anyone who can competently express their thoughts on paper become a good journalist?
Finding an answer to this question is especially important for those who are wondering whether they should connect their future destiny with this profession or not. This could be either a young man just starting his life’s journey or “no longer young” who has lost faith in his former profession.
How good it is to hear at this moment useful advice from Guru.
It seems to me that the famous Russian journalist Matvey Ganapolsky can serve as such an adviser. This is what he writes in his work "Sweet and Sour Journalism" :
One Monday, my friend went to a restaurant, where he was served cold meat, and even treated rudely. He came home angry and began to drive away his anger on the flies in the apartment, swatting them with a local newspaper. Having dealt with the flies, he unfolded the newspaper and found a section “letters from readers.” The editor of the newspaper, who was in conflict with the mayor of the town and tried to do everything so that he would not be re-elected, invited everyone to write what was wrong in the town.
My friend was so angry that he wrote a letter to this section about the incident at the restaurant. This note was immediately published. The next day he went to the same restaurant, where he was served the same meat and was treated rudely twice. Once according to tradition, the second time for a note.
The friend immediately ran home and wrote to the newspaper again.
Then he came to the restaurant again, and everything repeated, despite the letters.
This went on all week, except for Thursday, when he was beaten in the backyard for taking notes.
But, as you know, Friday is a blessed day.
On Friday he went to the restaurant again and, to his surprise, found a bunch of people there. There was a sanitary inspection that examined the meat, several representatives of the ethics council, and even a small demonstration of the local vegetarian union, which demanded that eating meat and wearing fur coats be banned in public places, although no one wore fur coats in this restaurant.
The friend came home, considering his duty fulfilled.
But on Monday he received a call from the newspaper and asked him to come to the editorial office.
He thought that he would be beaten right there, but it turned out that the mayor of the town and a lot of reporters were waiting for him in the editor-in-chief’s office. The mayor, looking at him angrily, suddenly began shaking his hand, smiling at the television cameras and saying that it is thanks to people like my friend that our city is eradicating vices. And he, the mayor, decided to personally thank the newspaper and this reader who told the truth about this bad restaurant - the last flaw under his rule. At the same time, the mayor squeezed his friend’s hand so hard that his bones crunched.
The mayor noted that my friend did not bow to difficulties. For a whole week he ate cold steaks, putting his health at risk, and online signaled to society that the vice had not been eradicated. And he, the mayor, personally thanks my friend and declares that if he, the mayor, is re-elected again, the meat will be served only at the temperature recommended by the federal nutrition bureau.
Having recalled several quotes from the Founding Fathers and several phrases from the “Bill of Rights,” the mayor left, not forgetting to squeeze his friend’s hand until he said goodbye.
The friend was about to leave, but suddenly the editor-in-chief asked him to stay. He asked what my friend was doing. The friend replied that he had a small hardware store and that he worked there until seven. Then the editor suggested that after seven my friend go to restaurants, taste meat and test restaurants for rudeness. And he wrote weekly reports about this, and the truth at that. A friend asked at whose expense the food would be. The editor said that at the expense of the editors. Hearing this, my friend immediately agreed. Finally, the editor said that his notes, in addition to his name, would contain, for the sake of decency, the phrase “our restaurant critic,” but this would not affect the fee.
So, my friend started going to restaurants and writing about it as clumsily as he could. His notes ruled the entire editorial board. But gradually he began to read how others wrote, and realized that the note had its own size, style and genre. And he began to write better, while at the same time eradicating restaurants with cold meat and rudeness. He was beaten again several times, which he also did not forget to write about.
But another problem arose - everyone in the town already knew about his mission, and when he came, in any restaurant, under the guise of a steak, he was served only marbled meat, and by the same waitress, in whom it was easy to recognize the winner of a local beauty contest .
Then a friend came to the editor and honestly said that his task was exhausted. He said that he, of course, likes to have lunch every day for three months now at the expense of the local newspaper, but he remembers the editor’s request - to write the truth. But the truth is that restaurants have become better, but he cannot and does not want to write badly about them.
The editor thought about it. He didn’t want to lose my friend because his notes were successful, and besides, he didn’t pay him enough.
“You know what,” he suggested, “I think you’ve become so knowledgeable about restaurants that you can simply write about good dishes and proper food.” After all, you already understand this better than anyone in our city.
The friend agreed. He was really interested in this strange activity.
“Only now I won’t pay for your lunches,” the editor said carefully.
“No problem,” the friend answered, “they are ready to deliver everything to my house if only I would write about them.”
Now he is one of the largest culinary journalists, or, in other words, restaurant critics, and even participated in the republication of several volumes of the famous French culinary encyclopedia Laroues.
Now let's look at this case carefully. Just be careful, because it seems to me, like a drop of water, that the whole world of journalism is reflected in it.
Let's start with the fact that a friend was faced with a certain disadvantage. It doesn't matter that it was his personal problem.
The main thing he determined: “this” is a disadvantage.
Second: he, overwhelmed by feelings, decided to write about it.
There is also something important and something unimportant here.
It doesn't matter that he simply didn't like this flaw. Agree, we are faced with a million shortcomings every day. Hundreds of newspapers invite us to write about this.
But the question is: do we write? No.
And he wrote.
That is, he decided to publicize what he considered a negative fact. He internally decided that this fact was socially significant. And, really, why should you and I eat cold meat amid boorish cries?
But that's not all.
He did not use his powers for personal gain. That is, he did not divide restaurants into good and bad, did not take a bribe in the form of money, drinks or kisses from the winner of a beauty contest.
When the topic had exhausted itself, he honestly admitted it, and when he was offered to change the genre, he agreed, although he had to learn a lot all over again.
Don't think I'm praising my friend. I'm just stating significant things.
I dare to say that my friend is a real journalist, although he never studied it, and even if I had told him that then, he would have been extremely surprised.
So, let's summarize.
You must be able, according to internal criteria, to distinguish bad from good, you must feel the shortcomings of life.
You should not be afraid to publicly address these shortcomings.
You must write or speak about these shortcomings in such a way that as many people as possible pay attention to it.
You must understand that not everyone considers what you consider a disadvantage. Moreover, you must be prepared that you will have to meet the authors of these shortcomings in a dark alley.
You must understand that writing about shortcomings once is just heating up the air. Radio, television, the Internet, blogs - all this blurs your problem, it gets lost in the flow of information. So you have to be willing to talk about the same problem again and again, so that some person one day says to his wife: “Listen, this is the fifth time this guy has written about this restaurant. Maybe we won’t go there, but choose another one?”
And this will be your small journalistic victory.
After reading this summary, you may be surprised: am I writing about the profession? It seems that I am simply writing about some human qualities.
Yes and no.
If you write illiterately, you can learn a little.
If you like someone's journalistic style, you can learn it.
If you want to write about some amazing, hitherto unknown profession, you can study it.
The only thing you can't do is force yourself to tell others about it. This is a gift, this is a special human quality. It either exists or it doesn’t. And it is this gift that distinguishes a journalist from all other people. It's like a subspecies of homo sapiens.
Do you see shortcomings and can't put up with them?
Do you want the scoundrels to go to prison?
Do you know how to dress beautifully, and do you want others to dress just as beautifully?
There are hundreds of truly talented people around you, and you want to introduce others to their talent?
Do you want millions to know what you know?
This means that you consider your personal to be socially significant.
This means that you are a social person.
This means you can become a journalist.
For the profession of a journalist consists ninety-nine percent of his personal human qualities.
First-year Journalism students discuss this
1st year at a meeting of employees of the educational telecentre
At the first lesson of the “Fundamentals of Journalism” course, students were given the task of dreaming up what an ideal journalist should be like. With the permission of the authors, I offer excerpts from the works:
Avanesova Elizaveta:
One of the main qualities is moral fortitude. A person must be well-read, educated, know the latest news, and multifaceted. A journalist must be incorruptible. He carries useful information to the masses, regardless of the illuminated sphere.
Immortal Valeria:
He must be mobile, communicative, comprehensively developed, know about all the innovations in order to keep up with the times, and maybe one step ahead, but it is especially important that he is literate. You must have your own point of view, and most importantly be able to prove it. Must be well acquainted with different areas of journalism (radio, television, newspaper, gloss). The “ideal” journalist requires knowledge of at least three leading languages in the world. You need to be able to win people over, find new acquaintances, because connections are very important - who knows what you will encounter...
Boridko Oksana:
First of all, a journalist must educate himself as an individual - have certain principles, goals, and most importantly - not give in to difficulties, seek the truth and be open to different points of view. You need to separate your personal and behave professionally. I need to write more, not even for publication, at least for myself. This practice helps, first of all, the journalist himself - the ability to choose words, see mistakes, and simply not forget how to write correctly and competently. Moreover, print journalism is unlikely to go “nowhere.” The ideal journalist is a person who knows his profession, has certain moral and spiritual qualities, is honest, objective, speaks the language and knows how to find a way out of different situations.
Brekotkina Polina:
The journalist of the future needs to have his own principles and position. He is a guide, adviser, mentor. Journalists should tell people the truth, help them navigate the crossroads of life, and find themselves. It is not permissible for a journalist to “call, advertise or influence” - only to inform and advise. First of all, this is a person who, in the pursuit of fame and money, will not forget about real life values and will not sell his soul for “exclusive”.
Dzhanbek Elizaveta:
What kind of journalist will he be? Perhaps this will turn out to be a “collection of “anti-etiquette”: a person who is arrogant, annoying, unceremonious, without principles or any standards. Such a character arises after observing the actions of today's journalists, who are capable of many impermissible things in their profession and behavior in society. I would like the journalist of the future to respect both those around him and their choices, and to be truthful. He must have certain values that make him think about choosing the purpose of the publication and writing it.
Dmitrovich Andrey:
I am for the division of labor. There must be a specialization of journalists, that is, everyone must cover a specific area of life, about which they have a clear idea and opinion. But, at the same time, there should be no narrowing of the specialization of publications, as this will lead to a lack of pluralism of opinions. In this sense, today Russian journalism is experiencing, if not a crisis, then it is consistently approaching it (closing of “undesirable publications”, lynching of journalists). Everyone has their own image of an ideal journalist: for one it is the one who “doesn’t scare”, for another it is the one who “opens their eyes”. Some people prefer pro-government media, others prefer opposition ones. My “ideal journalist” knows whose side he is on.
Dormashev Alexander:
A truly worthy and good journalist must always put the truth first. Only an ideal “super-journalist” can write honestly and according to conscience, which does not exist in modern realities, simply because it is difficult to adhere to such a “fairway” for a long time. However, even if someone “ideal” appears, this will not be enough to significantly improve people's lives. But this is precisely the goal of progress and any activity... The work of a journalist implies great responsibility to the audience.”
Iskandaryan Gohar:
For me, the concept of ideal means to succeed in everything you know how to do, to be the best in your field. The ideal journalist does his job without thinking about the consequences. Correctly and clearly moves towards the goals set, without stopping for a second. The ideal journalist, it seems to me, does not even realize that he is ideal - these are the ones who should be called ideal.
Zakharova Ekaterina:
To a journalist existed, he must be person first of all, but in no case a “typewriter”, a walking “search engine” or, even worse, just a “curious Varvara”. Ideally, he is a “multifunctional” person, comparable to the people of the Renaissance. He must be able to do everything (at least to a small extent) in order to be ready to talk casually with any person... A journalist must read, more than write. Only vast observational experience gives the right to depict the world. The ideal journalist is the most impartial and tolerant creature in the world...
Kodolova Alexandra:
Today, all attention has shifted to the Internet and television. In the next 10 years, the Internet will come to the fore, so a journalist must be mobile, responsive, and able to work in the online rhythm. I used to buy magazines, then I started reading the websites of these magazines. Progress goes further - the Telegram application has appeared, in it you can create your own channel and tell interesting things to the audience, which is similar to a dialogue on Facebook. Almost all the editors of my favorite magazines have created their own channels - this way I receive the necessary information in the form of messages... The personal qualities of a journalist remain the same: he must be inquisitive and honest, present different points of view so that the reader can form his own.
Korkishko Ilya:
Just as each individual perceives the world differently, a journalist covers it differently, trying to clearly convey different points of view to as many people as possible, giving them the right to choose. In an age of democracy, freedom and tolerance, a journalist must be a neutral, impartial mediator between people and things that they do not understand or do not fully understand. In the future, only such journalists will be able to find work based on the value of personality and personal merit...”
Luchsheva Valeria:
This is an inquisitive, versatile person, he does not know how to remain silent. He obtains information and finds a common language with people. Should not indulge the base tastes of viewers and readers. He must be prepared for anything - after all, criticism, threats, insults are often the standard reaction of part of the audience. He must be able to analyze, have ingenuity, gain trust, be cunning, be agile, and be able to interest the public. And always be one step ahead, know what interests readers.
Melnikova Sofia:
He must have such qualities as persistence, the ability to defend his point of view, the ability to find an approach and a common language with a person. The topic of the personal life of an ideal journalist causes a lot of controversy. Is he putting his family in danger? That’s why he’s ideal if he can combine two parts of his life - work and home. A journalist must clearly set himself a task and go towards his goal, conveying clear and correct information to the audience.
Blizzard Ulyana:
This is a subtle, skillful psychologist who can find the “key” to everyone. Must have the latest and most efficient equipment to report from the scene. Citizen journalism is our future. Here, a journalist is always on an equal footing with the people, part of them. He usually covers events online, with details such as photos, videos. Reports should be harmonious and tasteful...
Mironov Mikhail:
He must be able to do everything from working as an editor to blogging. He is obliged to competently create and, no less competently, manage information resources. He must have nerves of iron and endurance. Despite the fact that you can’t please everyone and objectivity as such does not exist, you need to try to adhere to some kind of neutrality, with the exception of extremes... A “government” journalist cannot become an ideal journalist: when a person is engaged in absolute propaganda, he turns into some kind of PR manager...
Ruleva Sophia:
It is unlikely that journalists of the future will be very different from today: even now “modern chroniclers” are technically equipped... Character, ambition, even appearance are important. I don’t think that a “serious” person would want to give an interview to an unkempt person... The ideal journalist would be the one who can win over the person. After all, even now not every expert in his profession can do this.
Semenov Ilya:
He must be able to express himself and fit in with any type of people; know modern slang and professionally use the art of speech, must have a “strong word”. It is important to be able to handle all the necessary gadgets and, if necessary, have time to quickly write everything down in a notebook, keeping up with the narrator. He must take care of his reputation, be well-read, have an original lexicon…
Skvortsova Anastasia:
A journalist is a psychologist: during an interview, he must learn as much as possible about a person. Must be dedicated to his work in order to do the job with pleasure. Educated, attentive, neat, diligent and tactful in order to do his job well. A journalist must be responsible, because public opinion is in his hands. There is no ideal, but you can become a good journalist - to do this you need to at least be a good person.
Gavrilina Anastasia:
A journalist must always be one step ahead, he must anticipate current trends. And these days you need to be especially patient, persistent, even “steel-strong” in order to defend your material, which many, especially people with opposing positions, may not be happy with. It is important to be competitive in our information age, when a professional has to compete for an audience with civilian “amateur journalists.”
It is important that “at the start” freshmen try to formulate the main qualities of a representative of their future profession, note its current advantages (for example, clarity civic position for many journalists) and disadvantages (the predominance of propaganda instead of information on television).
Students do not forget about the responsibility of a journalist, his literacy and education, the influence of the latest technical means of communication and dissemination of information. There are such qualities as heuristics, convergence and mobility.
Congratulations to everyone on your successful entry into the workforce! I wish the authors to continue to master the skills of working in modern media and become master professionals of quality journalism.
Journalism is a mass information activity, and it can be viewed through relationships:
- Subject of activity and subject.
- Activity process and subject.
Note 1
For a journalist, there is a list of personal and professional qualities that he must be able to use in order for his work to be not only useful for society, but also interesting for himself.
Personal qualities of a journalist
Without personal qualities, not a single person can exist harmoniously in society, including a journalist. If a journalist is not endowed or is not able to competently use certain personal qualities, his professional activity can be considered meaningless.
The main personal qualities of a journalist today include:
- High moral qualities. A good journalist will never “fall in the face”, because he represents his audience. If a journalist is insulted, you should not “spit” in response;
- Good knowledge of life. A highly intelligent person who reads a lot and is interested in many things will feel comfortable in any society. If a journalist has a rich inner world, then this will guarantee his success in the environment;
- Efficiency. In pursuit of a sensation, a journalist must have a clear idea of how to do all the necessary things in an instant;
- Attentiveness. Attention to detail is a real highlight of personal qualities. It is important for a journalist to be attentive to all the little things that surround him;
- Integrity. Any journalist must have principles and he must adhere to them;
- Honesty. A person must be honest in all situations;
- The ability to think deeply. This quality will allow you to fill the author’s texts with deep meaning and interesting comments;
- Literary ability. A beautiful style will allow you to write unusual and eye-catching materials;
- Knowledge of human psychology. Only then will a journalist be able to win over any person;
- Ability to communicate with people. WITH different people and from different social strata of the population.
Journalism is an incredibly creative profession. Perhaps, successful journalistic implementation is only possible if a person has excellent professional skills. Professional qualities can be acquired in the process of work; they are revealed in a journalist as needed.
Professional qualities of a journalist
The profession of a journalist distinguishes the following professional qualities:
- Attention to facts. Facts are like air to a journalist; they make it possible to compile interesting, rich, relevant material for further dissemination. Let us recall that fact is an important component of analytical and information genres. Any journalistic materials begin with a fact.
- Ability to think and generalize. For a journalist to work competently, it is extremely important to learn to think, analyze and further summarize the information received for the material.
- Thinking outside the box. As already mentioned, journalism is a creative profession that requires acting skills from the journalist.
Note 2
A journalist will also need associative memory, that is, the ability to find analogues of certain events, as well as to match existing facts. There is also room for rich imagination. The main thing is not to get carried away and remember that fantasy must be connected to the understanding of reality. The professional qualities of a journalist also include vocabulary, competent written and oral speech, the ability to communicate with different categories of society, and tolerance.
Introduction
3. Business skills
4. Psychological qualities
5. Physical qualities
6. Legal and ethical standards of a journalist
Conclusion
List of used literature
Introduction
What should a journalist be like? This question worried many representatives of journalism of the past. “Let us devote our lives to the truth” - this is the epigraph put by Zh.P. Marat in his newspaper "Friend of the People". M.V. Lomonosov, in the article “Discussion on the duties of journalists when presenting their works, intended to maintain freedom of philosophy,” considering the journalist the first disseminator of knowledge, science, and education, noted his qualities such as erudition and honesty, conscientious attitude to business; advocated that “the majority of writers should not turn their writings into a craft and a tool for earning a living, instead of setting themselves a strict and correct search for the truth.” (See: Voroshilov V.V. 2000. 39 p.)
1. Social status of a journalist
The profession of a modern journalist is distinguished by a number of specific features; its relations with society and the world are very complex and at times conflicting. This circumstance must be accurately recorded both when determining the socio-professional status of a journalist and in the self-awareness of each worker in this field, and be fixed in the nature of his preparation for the performance of professional functions and duties.
Before we talk about a number of qualities of a modern journalist, we need to figure out who belongs to this category of people - to define them social status. In the Law of the Russian Federation “On the Mass Media,” a journalist is understood as a person engaged in editing, creating, collecting or preparing messages and materials for the editorial office of a registered mass media, associated with it by labor or other contractual relations, or engaged in such activities under its authority. Russian legislation burdens a journalist with numerous social responsibilities. At the same time, he is granted special rights to access information that are deprived of representatives of other professions, the state guarantees the protection of his honor, dignity, health and property as a person performing a public duty. These provisions do not have a formal meaning at all - they have to be guided in specific circumstances and in practice.
The work of a journalist has extraordinary value for society; society strives to create favorable conditions for the activities of the press and, in turn, places strict demands on people in this profession. Any study of the state of the journalistic corps - and they are regularly carried out in different countries– will certainly reflect a greater mental and physical activity as an attribute of this profession. According to the English newspaper The Sunday Times, from the point of view of the occurrence of probability stressful situations journalists are ahead of such risky professions as taxi driver, fireman, military personnel, etc. There is also a great direct threat to the lives of media workers, especially in so-called “hot spots” and in conditions of instability of social systems. The international organization Reporters Without Borders collects and publishes information about dead and missing colleagues. The annual mourning list contains not even dozens, but more than a hundred names. The tragic “hunt” for reporters is explained by the exceptionally high significance of the information they obtain.
2. Ideological and moral qualities
The most important qualities required of a media employee include ideological and moral ones. Without recognizing himself as a person who has in his hands a powerful means of influencing his contemporaries and descendants, without feeling full responsibility to society and people, an editorial employee cannot consider himself a mature professional.
Like any citizen, a journalist has the right to take any position in an ideological or political dispute. However, this should not result in the substitution of facts with colored judgments, or arguments with political declarations. Otherwise, the audience’s right to objective information is violated, and it takes precedence over the personal interests of a newspaperman or radio commentator.
The audience places high demands on a journalist's integrity. This quality has several manifestations. Thus, it is unlikely that a correspondent who, with a change of job, sharply changed his beliefs, will earn public respect; in any case, he began to publicly express different views that correspond to the position of the new editor-in-chief.
The publication, which in January was known to the audience as, for example, moderate-conservative, and by April turned into ultra-revolutionary, looks completely unnatural. Let's not forget that the subscriber chooses for himself not only the name and frequency of publication of the newspaper, but also its specific civic orientation.
Integrity is expensive - both in the sense that it represents, as it were, the most valuable capital of a journalist, which should not be exchanged for short-term benefits, and in the sense that loyalty to one’s civic and moral guidelines requires courage and readiness from the correspondent. unpleasant consequences. Experienced newspapermen defend the value of such a moral quality as “decency.” “If a journalist is decent, he by nature cannot lie, please, does not allow himself to be inaccurate and unethical...” is heard in the dialogue between two masters of words. This conversation was published under the title " Good man– this is a profession. Especially if he is a journalist.”
3. Business skills
Business qualities also play a big role in the profession of a modern journalist.
Ideally, we should talk about specific abilities and even talent. These qualities are highly developed among recognized masters, who, of course, have a strong creative influence on their colleagues. But as the German media analyst Georg Hellack rather sharply notes, “journalists still talk a lot about their profession as a “profession for the talented,” although experience shows otherwise: most journalists are just employees, and the aspiring journalist without special knowledge is unlikely to be able to work successfully.” Society does not have the right to demand outstanding abilities from every editorial employee, but it expects that everyone has at least a certain minimum of qualifications.
Intellectually, a qualified specialist knows the scientific foundations of his field, is fluent in professional problems, concepts and terms, as well as sources of knowledge. However, the peculiarities of intellectual activity in journalism are related to the fact that here you have to repeatedly switch from one subject of coverage to another and at the same time demonstrate a fairly deep understanding of the issues being raised. This presupposes a special kind of competence. The journalist’s level of awareness about the topic of the publication should be at least no lower than that of the “average” reader.
Khaidarova Adela Nailevna | 10 April 2016
Youth newspaper
In recent years, a large number of school graduates have chosen the profession of journalist. Some even considered it quite easy, but is it really so? What should a real journalist be like?
The history of Russian journalism begins in 1702 with the publication of the first printed newspaper Vedomosti. The main function of the first media was information. With the help of the newspaper, people learned about new reforms, important events, and the foreign policy of the state. The texts for the publication were created very carefully. Peter I himself personally ruled many of them and supervised their release. Even then, journalism, having just appeared, became an effective way of regulating society and its relationship to power. More than three centuries have passed since then. Has the role of journalism in society and its functions changed? Has the image of a journalist changed in the eyes of the state and society? What skills are needed for each representative of this profession? Every aspiring journalist must answer these questions.
With the advent of the Internet and large quantity magazines and newspapers online, such a media function as informing gradually faded into the background. When the reader had the opportunity to choose a publication that corresponds to his personal understanding of objectivity, analytical genres began to gain popularity. They require from a journalist not only a broad outlook and deep knowledge, but also the ability to professionally analyze specific facts and the ability to influence the choice of society’s position. A journalist working in this direction must have a good reputation in order to have the right to make forecasts and give advice. But don’t forget about correspondents and reporters who work in information genres. As a result of their work, we learn about events literally immediately after they happen. Working quickly on information requires a journalist to have a wide range of necessary skills. Mobility, responsibility, erudition, the ability to write competently and quickly adapt to another topic - this is the very minimum that every journalist needs. However, this may not be enough to become a true expert in the profession. The 21st century has made its own adjustments to the requirements for journalists. With the development of new technologies and the emergence of a large number of alternative media, such a concept as a “universal journalist” has appeared in the media sphere. He is proficient in various technologies: he can write texts, take photographs, shoot and edit videos. Now there are many ways to achieve this goal. Various courses in the necessary disciplines, video lectures, and recordings of webinars are publicly available. Many people can afford to attend seminars and paid lessons. But even having the necessary skills may not be enough without a higher education. True, which one exactly is difficult to say.
So far, the community of masters of their craft has unanimously come to only one conclusion: education should be humanitarian. And the presence of a journalistic education still causes lively discussions. On the one hand, a journalist must know the history of his profession and understand what its ethical components are. This and much more knowledge can be gained by studying journalism, but a surprising number of masters of their craft insist that such education is a waste of time. There is no need to look for a definite answer. This is exactly the case when people with the same goal choose completely different ways to achieve it.
Coming to the desired profession and staying in it are things that are completely different in complexity. A journalist who clearly sees his mission and is aware of his ultimate task is able to remain in his place for a long time. Almost every person can acquire the skills of collecting and processing information, which cannot be said about the desire to help society and work for the common good. These qualities are especially necessary, because journalism today greatly influences both the culture of public societies and the formation and development of an individual. Realizing this can completely change a person's view of the media. Some people still don't want to see the pursuit of truth in journalists. The trust of viewers depends on the reputation of the source, which in turn depends on the reputation of the journalists working in it. In this regard, the journalist has no right to make a mistake. Once he has violated his own principles or universal human laws, he will no longer be able to regain the trust of the audience. And it’s better to understand this at the very beginning of the path to becoming a journalist.
