JOURNALISM-CAREER INFORMATION SUMMARY
WHAT IS JOURNALISM AND WHO IS A JOURNALIST?
Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating and presenting news and information. It is also the product of these activities.
A Journalist is someone who has studied and graduated with a diploma or degree in journalism and is involved with gathering information for public consumption in a variety of media. They may work on researching, reporting, and writing newsworthy topics, or work on the business side of journalism in positions like editors and publishers.
WHERE DO JOURNALIST WORK?
The field of journalism encompasses a variety of careers related to the dissemination of information. Journalists work as news reporters, writers, editors and publishers at newspaper companies, Website companies, Magazine firms, Television stations, Radio stations and other Media organizations.
In Zambia we have a lot of TV stations where journalists can work dominantly in Lusaka and Copperbelt provinces such as MUVI TV, ZNBC, DIAMOND TV, CBC, REVELETION TV, CAMNET TV, and Q TV. And we have radio stations in all the parts of the country, Newspaper companies such as The Mast, Lusaka Times, The times of Zambia, Zambia Daily Mail etc. And there are a lot of business companies dealing in websites and magazines where journalists can work.
Journalists can also work in various business corporations like ZESCO limited, RDA and ZRA and also in government departments and various organizations as public relations officers and call centre agents.
They also have an opportunity to be recruited by various business companies and banks that offer trainable jobs as graduate trainees especially degree holders.
WHAT TASKS ARE INVOLVED IN THE WORK?
The tasks involved in the work of TV and Radio journalists include:
Investigating and preparing the stories they will report, which can include covering events, researching and interviewing people. Journalists may report on location at the scene of a story or from the television station. Reporting live at the scene of a breaking news story requires putting together information on the spot with little preparation time. Other job tasks include working with editors, camera crew and video editing crew, and working with other crew members to prepare for the broadcast.
Some radio and TV presenters attend press conferences so they can present up-to-date and accurate information to listeners and viewers. They coordinate with producers to develop program material while taking into consideration the type of show they are creating and requests from the audience. Presenters who work in public radio may also participate in fundraising efforts for the station.
News analysts interpret the news from many sources and relay it to an audience through a television or radio broadcast.
Regardless of the specific job duties, all journalists must adhere to strict ethical policies and deadlines. Accuracy and timeliness are key aspects of news gathering and reporting.
WHAT IS THE WORK SCHEDULE OF A JOURNALIST?
It is a journalist’s job to find news and to report on it as quickly as possible, in an arresting and engaging style. The work schedule depends on the production deadlines of the news organisation. Long and unpredictable hours are common, especially when responding to major incidents. For example, Radio presenters and TV personalities can work for few hours a day from 10hrs to 13hrs when their show ends but still get engaged in the process of editing news and going out in the fields in search of news. Journalists may be expected to attend evening meetings. Some work shifts, including early starts, nights and some weekends and holidays. Journalists have to travel to where the news is. At times, journalists can find themselves working outdoors in all weather conditions. They may encounter hostile or aggressive people at times.
WHAT DOES THE JOB MARKET LOOK LIKE?
Journalists are at the forefront of information sharing. Most content we read or consume started out in the hands of a journalist, so they have an incredible ability to share their stories with the country. For that reason, they are in high demand, as media organisations grow so does the demand for more journalists to give content in Zambian media.
Journalists will mostly graduate with a wide variety of highly transferable skills, along with talent in communication, presentation, analytics, and research. This makes the job market too broad for them, they can be employed even outside the field of media that implies they can get employed in government departments and NGOs as public relations officers.
Many graduates work in traditional communication fields such as advertising and public relation and broadcasting but increasingly graduates expertise and knowledge are sought after in healthcare, tourism, IT, and in community organisations.
Above all, journalism graduates are informed and adaptable to new challenges, and they are able to synthesize and see patterns in complex ideas. This fact makes so many of graduates quickly become skilled professionals, launching rewarding and productive careers while helping to shape the future of the Media and Communication field by opening up new radio stations, magazine firms etc.
Journalists can find a job in the same institution of learning before or after graduation. There is media set up at every learning institution that offers mass communication. E.g. at UNZA there is UNZA Radio and UNZA TV, at Evelyn Hone there is Hone FM and ZAMCOM are also into media and film production.
SALARY RANGES AND WHAT CONTROLS IT?
Entry level salaries for a graduate as of 2020 in a public radio and TV stations like ZNBC and other government agency like RTSA, RDA, etc. started from 4100zmw as a basic pay (after tax and other deduction) for those with diplomas in journalism to 6000zmw as basic pay (after tax and other deduction)for those with degrees in journalism.
For those who work in private TV and radio stations as well as other media organisations their salaries vary greatly depending on the size of the station or company and the area in which the station is located. Those in the cities like Lusaka, Ndola and Kitwe. The TV and radio stations are well organized and some get paid as much as those in government but for others in other areas or in small or start up media companies they even get as low as 3000zmw.
WHAT SORT OF CAREER-PERSONALITY MATCH IS REQUIRED?
To enjoy being a journalist, you need to be a person who loves Art, because Journalists tend to be predominantly artistic individuals, meaning that they are creative and original and work well in a setting that allows for self-expression. They also tend to be enterprising, which means that they are usually quite natural leaders who thrive at influencing and persuading others. Increasingly, journalists must possess a working knowledge of computers and databases. People skills, tenacity and flexibility are other important traits of a journalist.
WHERE CAN I STUDY JOURNALISM, FOR HOW LONG, TO EARN WHAT QUALIFICATION?
In Zambia, Journalism is offered at The University of Zambia under the department of Media and Communication Studies. The Department offers a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in journalism. Journalism is also available at ZAMCOM. ZAMCOM is an independent professional media training Institute in Zambia, Evelyn Hone College also offers journalism under the department of media and communication studies. ZAMCOM and Evelyn Hone offer diploma programs while UNZA offers Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree.
A diploma lasts for 3 years while a Bachelor’s degree lasts for 4 years.
WHAT SUBJECTS WILL THE PROGRAM COVER?
When you enrol to study journalism you are expected to do the following courses: Journalism Ethics and Media law, TV documentary journalism, basic communication (writing and presentation), introduction to media studies and two more social science courses like development studies and public admiration at first year.
WHAT MODES OF STUDY ARE AVAILABLE?
All the three institutions, i.e. UNZA, ZAMCOM and Evelyn Hone offer media programmes in distance, part time, and full time training. Except UNZA, they also offer the program in parallel mode of study.
WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS?
To qualify for this program, you need to have (6) Ordinary levels including Mathematics and English, when enrolling for a degree a Diploma in diploma is an added advantage and you can be exempted for one year and study for three years only.
WHAT OTHER PROGRAMS OF STUDY CAN MAKE SOMEONE A JOURNALIST?
There are a few related careers that require a bachelor’s degree, including public relations, film and video editing, advertising and marketing. Editors are responsible for reviewing and revising work prior to publication. Public relations specialists represent various organizations and help their organizations present a positive public image. They may accomplish this through media releases. Film and video editors and camera operators create, manipulate and change the images that an audience sees. All these are alternative qualifications to journalism.
WHAT ARE THE FUTURE ADVANCED QUALIFICATIONS AVAILABLE AND WHY?
Once you study a diploma in journalism, you may decide to pursue a degree in journalism, but in a case where you do a degree in journalism then you can pursue a Master’s degree in journalism, a degree usually opens up to more fields of study at Master’s degree level, you can pursue a Master’s in the area of your interest for example Master’s in Business Administration, Marketing, Public Administration, Development Studies etc. you can also pursue a PHD once you complete the Master’s degree. This opens up doors for promotions and chances of advancing your career by taking up managerial positions at work, once you study masters you can even become a lecturer at the universities.