Journalists have been subjected to increased hostility in the wake of the election of US President Donald Trump, who has dismissed traditional news organisations for producing ‘fake’ news.
It is now more important than ever for journalists to keep holding the powerful to account but at the same time, continue to embrace new ways of reporting to the people. It takes courage, determination and intuition for a journalist to be successful in the current climate.
Courage and determination go hand in hand when it comes to important skills a journalist should embody. Not only for journalists have to pursue and expose corruption in high places, but to also to ask the tough questions and not be intimidated by difficult situations – which is usually where the important stories are found.
Sometimes a journalist will hit roadblocks when it comes to information gathering. A good journalist would actively find new ways to obtain information even if it is difficult to get people to talk or could take a long time.
A good journalist would be intuitive and know which stories are relevant. In a world where gossip is increasingly being reported as news, journalists should use their intuition to report important stories which is in the public’s interest.
With the rapidly changing media landscape and the rise of new communication platforms, journalists have been left behind while the rest of the world embraces innovation.
Journalists who embrace the new modes of communication innovative technology brings would have the courage to actively find and utilise new methods to do their reporting so that they can continue to reach out and inform readers in new and economical ways.
A determination to experiment with new technology and make information easier to understand is an advantage in today’s age since readers are technologically engaged.
It would take an intuitive person to know what technologies contemporary audiences are using and be able to adjust their reporting to cater for their readers’ desire for the latest news.
Poison in the System by BuzzFeed News investigates the death of a Russian whistleblower which was ruled by British Police to not be suspicious.
The reporters’ intuition pushed them to follow up on the story even though the death was ruled to not have been suspicious. The fact that this story involved a hostile foreign power made it very newsworthy.
It was courageous for the reporters to investigate the perceived corruption even though uncovering information could have posed a risk to their lives. Their determination allowed the journalists to uncover new evidence not discovered by the authorities.
It is with these values, courage, determination and intuition, that allow a journalist to be successful in the current climate and allow them to continue to evolve with the times.
