Thursday 8 February 2007

Why online journalism skills are essential in the news industry

Online journalism skills are essential in the news industry because the ever changing industry requires a journalist to be more flexible, and more dynamic. More and more journalists are now taking their own pictures to accompany their written stories. Having the ability to write for online publications is another skill that can be added to a portfolio of talents.

Often, stories that are written for printed publications (i.e. newspapers) are very different to their online counterparts. Therefore, skills such as editing and sub-editing for online stories is useful. The news industry is ever changing, and more and more people are now accessing their news via different mediums than the traditional newspaper. This not only increases competition in the industry, but also quality.

The demand for jobs in the industry is increasing while the number of vacancies seem to be falling. Being a journalist, having a wide range of skills (i.e being able to write for online AND printed publications) makes you stand out from a very large crowd.