Advice for budding journalists
On the first day of the Spring Term a number of students from Year 7 to Upper Sixth were fortunate to meet Ann Mroz, Editor and Digital Publishing Director of the Times Educational Supplement (TES), to hear about her experiences as a journalist and editor.
Chaired by Head of English Mr David Walker, the questions asked by students ranged from whether journalists have an ethical responsibility to ensure their stories are ‘real’, to what sort of jobs there are at a publication like the TES, and Ann’s take on whether online news is destroying paid for journalism.
Some of Ann’s key pieces of advice for budding journalists included:
- Incorporate journalism into another profession – for example, if your specialism is Science you could be a Science Communicator, or specialise in data journalism by being good at Mathematics
- Don't assume that an English degree is the only, or best, pathway into a successful career as a journalist; many of the best journalists in fact have a History or Politics degree which serve them well. Background knowledge and context is key, and in fact simply having a niche area of expertise is very useful – so degrees in any area you are passionate about are useful
- Be nosy! Ann explained that people who might otherwise be considered gossips have the right qualities to be a successful journalist as an investigative and curious mind is essential
- Practise writing. By writing for the school magazine, or creating blog posts, it’s important to work out what you want to say and how you want to say it, and to practise doing so. An important skill is writing about something persuasively that you do not personally agree with – this can be practised on any number of topics that are personally interesting from sport to politics
- Remember that editing is an important skill and is set to become even more so. As there is ever more information available, and some of it not verified, or irrelevant, we will rely more and more on editors (or content curators) who we trust to point us to the right/best/true/relevant information
It was refreshing to hear the girls talking about the different ways they check news stories’ validity, for instance by checking a number of different sources and comparing the reports. Ann reminded the girls of how important it is to remember that in any report there is always an agenda. Whether it is the agenda of the journalist, or the publication, there is likely to always be a bias – even when written by those claiming to be impartial. Ann explained that it is difficult for journalists to balance being ethical with the requirements of their role, as it depends on what sort of publication they are writing for and the ‘carrot’ they are chasing; like everyone else, journalists must balance their personal opinions and ethics with their need for job security and desire to progress in their careers.
Ann was largely positive on the topic of online versus print news, explaining that book sales had a huge resurgence last year and that new trends often dominate initially before they naturally plateau – for instance vinyl records. She did, however, explain that the advertising model used by papers when they first embarked on online publishing had been under-priced, and so it was for each publication to work out how to resolve the balance. Ann was determined that people should want to pay for news: “It's a product, so people should want to pay for it.”
Mr Walker was interested to find out how Ann consumes news herself, and it was interesting to learn that she relies on a combination of social media in the first instance (she mentioned Twitter) to find out the biggest stories and also to read education news from relevant accounts that she follows. She then reads the Times online on the way to work for a broader sample of the day’s news. As an aside, Ann mentioned how strongly opposed she is to women’s magazines: “I won't read women's magazines - I hate them - they're awful!”.
Finally Ann explained the different roles fulfilled by staff on a publication like the TES – from the Commissioning Editor and News Editor, to Reporters and Journalists, to the Sub-Editors (who rewrite journalists’ articles and edit for grammar, as well as writing headlines and social media posts), and Designers.
The session was fascinating for all who attended and an excellent experience for the girls, especially those considering a career in media. Thank you to Ann for giving her time to the students.