Desafios para jovens jornalistas | Challenges for young journalists

The biggest challenge facing a young journalist in today’s media is:

Fitting into newsroom cultures that have not evolved.

Entering an industry full of companies with uncertain futures.

Trying to thrive at an organization that is behind the times.

Greg Linch, We’re facing an uncertain future in an industry that’s failing to change

O Journalism.co.uk postou quatro artigos sobre as dificuldades que os jovens jornalistas podem encontrar no panorama jornalístico actual. Ideias a reter: muito do que terão de saber não vos será ensinado nas universidades; terão que saber fazer de tudo, porque é isso que as empresas esperam de vocês; é preciso estar atento à evolução da tecnologia, das tendências e do mercado. E ainda: se fizerem tudo bem, estarão à frente de quem manda e terão que se adaptar a duas realidades – a existente e a imposta no vosso local de trabalho.

Journalism.co.uk posted four articles about the challenges that young journalists will face in the current journalistic setting. Main ideas: a lot of what you need to know will not be taught at your university; you will have to know how to do everything, because that is what companies expect from you; you have to follow closely the evolution of technology, trends and market. And another thing: if you do it all well, you’ll be ahead of those in charge, and you’ll have to adapt to two realities – the existing one, and the other imposed by your working conditions.

One of the greatest challenges young journalists face today is holding out for the change – that steady shift from print to web – that many more established journalists fear.

I’ve found that those “established” journalists are generally older and/or less computer literate, and have become quite accustomed to the state of things in print journalism. Because of this, we younger journalists have to take some initiative.

Laura Griffith, Holding out for the change

Journalism and newspapers have been moving online for years and we can no longer make the distinction between skills needed for print versus skills needed for broadcast or radio journalism. We need and deserve to be better prepared for the industry we will enter. By providing more integrated courses, allowing students to become proficient in programs from Quark to InDesign to Final Cut, universities could raise the bar and provide their students with better skills, and ultimately, job opportunities.

Katharine Lackey, Tired of Being Self-Taught

What does the industry expect of a young journalist?

• Multimedia supernerd. Jack and Master of all trades, always.
• Work within the structure. Stamps out innovation, conforms thought processes.
• Expects hierarchy to control ideas, publication and content.

Young journo’s big woes: J-school doesn’t meet industry expectations