I have a confession to make: I’m not a journalist. I’m a copywriter who has strayed into journalism just to satisfy the needs of the readers I’m targeting. But, what does that mean for you, the reader?
When a journalist refers to his or her area of expertise in an article, that’s generally what readers will assume. But that doesn’t have to be the case. There are many different specialties a copywriter can pursue. For example, I could write for a sports team, a business, or even a nonprofit organization. So, when I tell you I’m not a journalist, that doesn’t mean I am unskilled at putting words to the page. It just means my area of expertise (at the time I wrote this article) didn’t quite match the needs of a typical journalist.
History Of The LDP
Launching in 2018, Let’s Decide Political Party is a new political party located in the United Kingdom. Their platform focuses on getting people directly involved in political debates. One of the ways they seek to do this is by allowing users to create their own customised placards and posters to take part in marches and rallies. So, if you’re looking to create some political propaganda, they’re a great place to start.
The party was founded by and for people who feel that traditional political parties have failed them. In particular, they aim to capture the millennial vote, which they feel is underserved by the two major parties. They want to create an open and inviting space where people can come together to engage with each other on issues that matter to them.
The Specialties Within Journalism
So, if you’re looking to enter the field of journalism, you’ll have to decide on what specialties you want to pursue. While most journalists will be familiar with the basics of reporting and writing, there are many other areas of specialization that can be considered “non-traditional”. For example:
– Social media management: if you’re a journalist who relies heavily on social media to spread the news about your story, you’ll need to consider what specialties lie within the scope of journalism and social media. Would you like to write about digital marketing, or content strategy, or both? Or maybe you’ll want to focus on analytics, or creating engaging communities, or motivating people to take action.
– Copywriting: if you’re a journalist who wants to focus on more of the “copy” part of your job, you’ll need to consider whether or not this is a field you wish to enter. While most journalists will be familiar with the basics of copywriting for headlines and lead paragraphs, there are many other tasks that could fall under this category. Is your area of expertise something like content marketing or email marketing? Does marketing on the web interest you? Are you looking to get into the field of digital journalism and want to see what copywriting is like?
– Editing: if you’re a journalist who hopes to continue improving his or her writing skills, you’ll need to decide on what type of editing you wish to pursue. While some journalists may choose to pursue basic copyediting tasks, there are many opportunities for more advanced copyediting. Are you interested in line editing or copyediting for media publications? Or perhaps you’ll want to focus on graphic design and layout, or video editing?
– Podcasting: if you’re a journalist who frequently expresses himself or herself through spoken word, you may want to consider pursuing the craft of podcasting. Just like traditional journalism, podcasting allows you to tell a story through sound. But it also provides you with the opportunity to explore new topics and dive deeper into existing ones.
– Magazine editing: if you’re a journalist who enjoys the opportunity to shape an entire issue of a magazine, you may choose to pursue the craft of magazine editing. While many may consider this to be the glamorous part of a journalist’s job, it can also be quite demanding. Are you looking to work for a media company that publishes magazines? Or perhaps you’ll want to get your own magazine and take on the task of editing and producing it?
As you can see, there are many different specialties a journalist can pursue. If this sounds like a career you’re passionate about pursuing, make sure to research the specialties that interest you and see if any training is required. There are many different ways to become a journalist, but you’ll need to decide what you wish to do and why you wish to do it before you can begin making progress towards your goal.