TwoCents | What Makes a Good Journalist?

<p>Journalism is a complex yet interesting job. One has to be passionate about it in order to overcome the hurdles and puddles. For one to be considered a good journalist, they should fit within these criteria:</p><ul><li>Be flexible and ready for any circumstance: be it physically or mentally, a journalist should be ready to be called up for anything. Cases could range from accidents or shootings or landslides and they could occur at any hour.</li><li>Have a good command of language: a journalist should master their working language to the tips and be very fluent.</li><li>Work under pressure: journalists are usually asked to meet with deadlines that sometimes prove to be unrealistic. However, they must do their best to meet up with the deadline while producing quality content.</li><li>Be creative with a good sense of humour: this mostly applies to TV or radio hosts of programmes. They should be able to manage unforseen circumstances naturally, bring up relatable stories and keep the audience on track.</li><li>Be unbiased: a journalist should not take sides, especially when they moderate programmes. They should handle sessions properly, allowing each guests to voice out their opinions in civility and avoid taking sides with them. The end product should be satisfied guests and audiences.</li><li>Be good managers: this is a skill that comes with the job, as time is an important factor. Each host or presenter of soft or hard programmes should handle time adequately so that the next programme is not affected. Teamwork is also part of the job, and dealing with different personalities and perspectives is not always easy. A common ground should be adopted for peaceful workflow.</li><li>Look presentable: a journalist should be dressed to the nines. It must not be extravagant but something classy and catchy, because to gain the audience's attention, TV or web journalists should be eye-catching.</li><li>Be bold and social: what makes a good journalist is the contacts they have. Networking is an important asset in the job, and this requires boldness and social skills that will permit them amass as many contacts as possible for every field report they carry out.</li></ul><p>This list is not exhaustive, as there may be other important aspects that a good journalist should portray. What do you think I left out? Let me know in the comments below.</p>

Other insights from Suzanne Nanyonge