Profession political journalist

Political journalists research and write articles about politics and politicians for newspapers, magazines, television and other media. They conduct interviews and attend events.

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Personality Type

• Artistic / Enterprising

Knowledge

• Interview techniques

  The techniques for getting information out of people by asking the right questions in the right way and to make them feel comfortable.

• Grammar

  The set of structural rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language.

• Spelling

  The rules concerning the way words are spelled.

• Writing techniques

  The different techniques to write a story such as the descriptive, persuasive, first person and other techniques.

• Copyright legislation

  Legislation describing the protection of the rights of original authors over their work, and how others can use it.

• Political parties

  The ideas and principles that political parties stand for and the politicians representing them.

• Political science

  The systems of government, the methodology concerning the analysis of political activity and behaviour, and the theory and practice of influencing people and acquiring governance.

• Editorial standards

  The guidelines on how to deal with and report on privacy, children, and death according to impartiality, and other standards.

• Rhetoric

  The art of discourse that aims at improving the ability of writers and speakers to inform, persuade or motivate their audience.

Skills

• Stay up to date with social media

  Keep up with the trends and people on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

• Follow the news

  Follow current events in politics, economics, social communities, cultural sectors, internationally, and in sports.

• Evaluate writings in response to feedback

  Edit and adapt work in response to comments from peers and publishers.

• Study topics

  Carry out effective research on relevant topics to be able to produce summary information appropriate to different audiences. The research may involve looking at books, journals, the internet, and/or verbal discussions with knowledgeable persons.

• Develop professional network

  Reach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up to date on their activities.

• Participate in editorial meetings

  Participate in meetings with fellow editors and journalists to discuss possible topics and to divide the tasks and workload.

• Follow ethical code of conduct of journalists

  Follow the ethical code of conduct of journalists, such as freedom of speech, right of reply, being objective, and other rules.

• Build contacts to maintain news flow

  Build contacts to maintain a flow of news, for example, police and emergency services, local council, community groups, health trusts, press officers from a variety of organisations, the general public, etc.

• Consult information sources

  Consult relevant information sources to find inspiration, to educate yourself on certain topics and to acquire background information.

• Apply grammar and spelling rules

  Apply the rules of spelling and grammar and ensure consistency throughout texts.

• Use specific writing techniques

  Use writing techniques depending on the type of media, the genre, and the story.

• Interview people

  Interview people in a range of different circumstances.

• Write to a deadline

  Schedule and respect tight deadlines, especially for theatre, screen and radio projects.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB