Journalism career opportunities can vary between fields and job types as well as degree of seniority. There are journalism positions in nearly every field, from science to travel, and jobs within these broad areas may even focus specifically on a very small topic, such as chemistry news or Chinese travel. In terms of types of work, there are editors, writers, and many other jobs that require an understanding of journalism. It is possible to find journalism career opportunities in several different broad areas, including television, print, and online journalism. The type of employment engagement a person achieves can also make a major difference in the type of work he or she performs.
Many different types of jobs could broadly be considered journalism careers. Online freelance writers and television news anchors are both roughly involved in journalism. The ways in which a person uses his or her skills as a journalist may differ between these professions, but each of these opportunities involves focusing on presenting facts and information to an audience. Definitions of journalism are different between communities, but the presentation of non-fiction information to an audience is always involved.
Common journalism career opportunities include jobs for reporters, writers, and editors. These professionals often fill more than one role depending on the size of the publication. Photojournalism is also a potential career for a journalist, although this type of work requires a different kind of skill than text-based journalism positions. As an independent journalist, a person may also come up with other ways of presenting news items to an audience, such as through social media, video, or interactive materials.
For many people, journalism career opportunities must be carved out piece by piece as a freelancer. This means that each job is obtained individually, and the journalist is responsible for finding additional work. Many people hope to move into a staff-writing position as a journalist, as this type of work is more secure and consistent.
Young journalists often find career opportunities in the form of internships. This type of employment can provide exposure to a particular area of journalism, such as foreign or political reporting, that would be difficult to break into without experience. Having a degree in journalism can make it easier to get into these internships, but this is not strictly necessary to getting into this profession.
In addition to working as a journalist, there are also many academic journalism career opportunities. Teaching journalism to others often requires some experience as a journalist, but once the position is obtained, it can provide secure and steady employment. Many people who teach journalism also teach other forms of writing and often find time to work on a freelance basis as well.