How to Become a Journalist
Spoiler alert: A journalism degree is not necessary.
I originally planned to go to college for journalism. Well, actually theatre and journalism, with journalism being the backup plan.
But during a meeting with my university’s newspaper, I realized that the thought of covering news around campus, or even the community, without having much say in the kinds of topics I covered, sounded extremely boring.
But the more I got into writing, the more I realized I was missing out on all of the skills journalism school would have taught me, like interviewing, finding sources, working with multimedia, and covering stories from different angles.
So, while still in college, I went about interviewing people for articles I wanted to write instead of just focusing on personal essays and creative writing. (The first such piece was this one on veganism in eating disorder recovery).
Throughout my DIY journalism career, I have learned that a few things are essential to success. Here’s everything you need in your journalist starter pack:
1. A Help A Reporter Out (HARO) account
Help A Reporter Out is a free tool that simplifies the source-finding process. If you’re looking for quotes from psychologists…
