You're considering a career in journalism. What are the most common paths to follow?

There is of course the "traditional" path to journalism through college. However, this will only provide an umbrella of skills and writing opportunities. Journalism (not social media vlogging etc) is a "calling". Accept that your own personal story or belief is never "the story". Journalism is not about you- it is about everything else but you. Stay neutral, observe and record. One of the best paths to becoming a journalist is to find a mentor in the field and "apprentice" under them. In journalism, experience is more important than a degree.

Passion not a paycheck must be your motivation to survive long term. I was blessed with about 25 yrs as a TV journalist. REALITY: you will be critiqued constantly-the newsroom, viewers, neighbors, perhaps consultants or a focus group. Quality of your work is subjective. You can never please everyone. People may criticize your hair, outfit, or accent: nothing to do with a good story. Wacky hours. At some point overnight, weekends, evenings, and holidays. Deadlines: your heart beats a little faster as adrenaline fuels getting that story in just in time. Living paycheck to paycheck is common. But if it’s your passion: it’s an incredible career, and you’ll press on for the love of the job!

If you are a fresh graduate, there are two paths you can take. First, you can immediately enter the path of intense competition, by trying to join the prominent mainstream media. A career in a media organization like this generally provides a path with neatly arranged stages. However, the race to get admission tickets is very tough. Second, you can take a less restrictive route by joining small or local media. You can gain as much experience as possible while building a network with journalists and sources who can later help open a path to a higher level. These two paths have pluses and minuses. Consider according to your potential.