Advice for aspiring journos

Brief note which I'll expand on when I've time

I get lots of emails from student/young/wannabe journalists, asking for help & advice getting into foreign reporting. I can't answer them all, so thought I'd put some pointers here.

Want to get into journalism generally?

• Study a subject that you enjoy, not necessarily journalism. Do a degree (if you want) in something that interests you - history, sociology, area studies, languages, etc. But you don't have to do a degree!

• Journalism is a trade (I believe). In the UK there's an excellent system of qualifications, from 6-month college courses to on-the-job training to degree courses, run by the NCTJ. I did the 6-month fast-track diploma at City of Liverpool College, because, frankly, I couldn't afford to do a longer one, and I was impatient to get to work. I did this with a bursary from the Journalism Diversity Fund. It opens four times a year. Funds fees and/or living costs. The NCTJ courses include shorthand, law, public affairs. It's proper, rigorous training. A lot of journalism degrees now don't actually include shorthand (& therefore aren't NCTJ-accredited), because people can't be bothered with it (I suppose?) and I think that's stupid - I used shorthand from day one as a local reporter. But that's a longer, endless internet debate.

• Join the union. The NUJ offers student membership at very low rates and the benefits are massive - I've been an active member for many years and have had so much help and advice. It's also the only way we'll improve freelance rates - collectively. You get a press card too. Invaluable.

• The BBC offers school leaver, graduate, and early-career entry schemes - you don't need to have a degree for some of these - with generous terms and good training. I used to work at the BBC, and while some aspects of it (management) drive me mad, it's a fantastic place to train and learn and meet very good people. And we'd be screwed without it, by the way. BBC radio stations all over the country are a great place to start (as are local newspapers, but they're sadly reduced in number). I worked at BBC Radio Shetland and over the last few years that station has had SO MANY trainees and graduates pass through, all of them going on to do fantastic things, often in permanent jobs. At a local station you are presenter, reporter, producer, video shoot-edit, podcast creator - all in one. If you go to a big headquarters like Glasgow or London, you will not get anything remotely like these opportunities - you'll likely be stuck cutting clips and scripts, barely leaving the building, but perhaps that's my own cynicism/experience... Anyway, these local stations sometimes struggle to recruit new/young journos, as they all want to go to London etc - very silly. Apply!

• In general, read newspapers. Reading is how you become good at writing, so reading newspapers is how you become a good newswriter (and that's the skill you need to get, fast fast fast). Buy the newspapers. Get to know their different style. They still exist. Printed, on paper.

• Don't do unpaid internships. They're immoral and are making the journalism industry much less diverse and dominated by privileged people. But that's just my opinion...

Want to get into foreign reporting?

• all of the above, plus LANGUAGES and finding your niche/area. Fluency in another language is the most useful crucial thing. Spending time in a foreign country is obviously best way to do that. But for so many, in early career stage, that's just not feasible. I had to listen to a lot of very privileged people with their "Oh I just went" and it was pretty infuriating - I couldn't just go anywhere in my twenties - but do think about teaching abroad, nannying, or make a list of every single relevant scholarship, fellowship and study-abroad opportunity, with their deadlines and application requirements. The Journey bootcamp in Prague is fantastic, for instance.

• Conflict reporting is a whole other thing. I'd be a massive hypocrite if I said you shouldn't do it freelance, but do be aware of the risks that comes with. I had 7 years' journalism experience, in print, radio, and TV, before I went to Ukraine, and I don't think student journalists should go to conflict zones at all. You should be fully trained and experienced, particularly around ethical issues/trauma-informed reporting. Again, just my opinion.

  • For experienced freelancers going to Ukraine or other conflict zones, look up the Rory Peck Trust for training bursaries, risk assessment forms, much much more (full hostile environment awareness & First Aid training is totally non-negotiable & should be refreshed every 3 years); the IFJ (international press card obtainable through your NUJ membership); you must have accreditation (in Ukraine it's the MOD, which means an editor's letter of commission and few weeks' wait); the Press Freedom Centres run by RSF and IMI sometimes loan out body armour, otherwise it'll be a very expensive investment, but you must have it to work legally in Ukraine. Insurance is a nightmare. RSF members get a discounted Battleface insurance but it doesn't cover any of the eastern areas in Ukraine. Proper insurance will cost thousands and thousands. If you're considering going without insurance, just bear in mind what life would be like if you sustain permanent injuries that leave you dependent on others, with no insurance payout.

  • I know some people go to this (and other) war zones as volunteers or aid workers and combine it with reporting, but I think this is really problematic. If you are reporting on the people you're helping, the lines are really blurred and your role isn't going to be clear to them (or you). You can't do both properly, or ethically, at the same time. IMO.