A Journalist in Today's World

For the past couple years journalists have realized the bar has risen for those seeking to get into the field or stay in it. And we as journalism students have constantly been told we need to develop multiple skills to make it in this profession today. After our first media appointment at the Axel Springer AG company, I’ve become more aware of what is expected of me as a future journalist.

One is that journalists need multi-media skills. Internet and mobile phones are huge. Technology is constantly changing, and we must change with it. This will make us more marketable when applying for jobs.

What surprised me on this visit is that Axel Springer’s news room has just 500 people, but it produces four different newspapers. To me this really highlights just how much the journalism field has changed. Several years ago I could walk into a newsroom solely wanting to report and write. But with several newspaper layoffs in the U.S. it makes perfect sense to keep journalists who can do several jobs as opposed to one.

Another thing that helps a journalist stand out is knowledge of a foreign language and culture. Nearly 80-90 percent of the journalists in the Axel Springer's news room speaks English. It wasn’t until today that I felt like kicking myself for never continuing a foreign language when I entered college. I’m seriously considering on adding on to my major, because I now feel a foreign language is a necessity for a journalist in today’s world.