Skill path
How to become a Journalist
How to become a Journalist: skill roadmap with 3 core skills, degree usually required, courses and salary data. Updated weekly.
Education & experience requirements
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
- On-the-job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Foundations
Skills assumed by employers — the base to build on
- Writing and editingFoundation
Crafting clear and accurate content. Journalists use writing and editing to report news. Learn through journalism practice and feedback.
- Research skillsFoundation
Locating, evaluating, and synthesizing information. Needed to produce accurate and trustworthy content. Develop through formal research methods and fact-checking routines.
- Ethics in journalismFoundation
Principles of fairness, accuracy, and accountability. Journalists follow ethical guidelines to maintain trust. Learn through journalism codes and newsroom culture.
- Interviewing techniquesFoundation
Methods to gather information from subjects. Journalists use effective questioning and listening. Learn through practice and mentorship.
Core skills
The skills that define the role today
- Investigative & original reportingHigh demand
Conducting in-depth research to uncover new stories. Journalists use it to expose issues. Learn through investigative methods and persistence.
- Data journalismHigh demand
Using data to find and tell stories. Journalists analyze data and create visualizations. Learn through data science and visualization tools.
- Verification & source developmentHigh demand
Confirming facts and building reliable sources. Journalists use it to ensure accuracy. Learn through fact-checking protocols and networking.