Newspaper Industry, Careers in

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NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY, CAREERS IN

Careers in the newspaper industry offer a breadth of opportunities from story composition to publication layout to advertising design. The reporter is the most basic unit of a newspaper staff. Reporters serve as the eyes and ears of the newspaper and its readers. General assignment (GA) reporters cover any type of news from city council meetings to murder trials. Beat reporters are assigned to focus on specific topics, such as the local textile industry or school news. A key difference between the two types of reporter is that beat reporters typically generate their own stories while GA reporters are tipped to breaking news.

In addition to reporters, newspapers employ other types of writers. Investigative journalists spend days or months sorting through facts in an attempt to find and uncover news. Columnists write specifically about topics that are important to them, and they are allowed to mix personal opinions with facts. Finally, editorial writers, similar to columnists, express personal stances on social issues that are of interest to readers. Editorial writers are under no obligation to present both sides of an issue, and they commonly promote a stance that is taken by the editorial board of the newspaper.

Newspapers also employ staff other than writers. Photojournalists tell stories through photographs, relaying the relationship between individuals and events to readers by supplying images to go with the copy. Editorial cartoonists offer humorous and often satirical comments on society through combining artistic skill with a critical eye. Overseeing writers, photographers, and design artists are various types of editor. Editors coordinate news activities by assigning stories, scrutinizing copy, and overseeing layout for final publication. Assisting with the editing function are copy editors and proofreaders. Copy editors are usually entry-level employees who read manuscripts for errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style. Additionally, they check facts and occasionally assist in layout. Proofreaders serve much the same function but are more concerned with comparing materials that are ready for printing against the edited manuscripts from which those materials were created. Once materials have been edited, page and layout designers manufacture the newspaper using copy, headlines, photographs, graphics, and advertisements. Ultimately, layout staff serve a unique journalistic function in that they control the means by which information is disseminated.

In addition to these careers that are traditionally associated with the industry, newspapers also employ people in advertising sales and circulation departments. Because advertising is responsible for up to 80 percent of the revenue of a newspaper, the advertising staff is vital. Advertising staff employees oversee local and national advertising sales as well as the classified advertisements department. Also, on many newspaper staffs, the advertising department often designs local advertisements. In the circulation department, employees must coordinate street sales, home delivery, and mail subscriptions. Working in the circulation department also entails developing marketing campaigns and subscription promotions.

Outside of local opportunities that are available for a journalist, some careers in the industry allow the reaching of a wider audience through news organizations, regional publication of national newspapers, and syndication. News organizations establish bureaus in various locales, cover the news as it occurs in the area, and then sell stories and photographs to newspapers that are unable to send correspondents to the location. The Associated Press, for example, is a news organization with 3,500 employees working at 240 worldwide bureaus. More than 1,500 U.S. newspapers subscribe to the service of the Associated Press. Certain national newspapers also establish bureaus to facilitate covering of regional news and attracting of wider audiences. For example, The New York Times has twelve national bureaus and twenty-seven foreign news bureaus. In addition, the national edition of The New York Times is printed at ten sites throughout the United States, providing additional career opportunities. Finally, columnists on large newspapers often sell their columns to other newspapers via syndication.

Preparing for a career in any of the copy-production positions on a newspaper staff or in a news organization typically involves training in news reporting. Because reporters make up the majority of newspaper staffs, most entry-level employees begin their careers as reporters. These employees are expected to have earned a journalism degree or a degree in English with extensive training in writing for the press. More than four hundred colleges and universities offer journalism degrees consisting of three-fourths liberal arts classes and one-fourth journalism classes such as basic reporting, copy editing, and media law and ethics. A college degree in journalism alone, however, is often not enough to land a job on a newspaper staff. Increasingly, entry-level employees are expected to have experience working for the press. School newspapers and internships afford media students the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to a real-life press environment. Students should make an effort to garner this experience before entering the job market. While photojournalists and layout specialists may not anticipate a career in producing copy, the entry-level requirements are not dissimilar from those of reporters. Journalism degrees and experience again are prerequisites for these careers.

Individuals who are aspiring to editorial positions normally begin their careers as reporters or copy editors and advance through the ranks of the staff. A typical newspaper has a number of editors, beginning with copy editor and progressing up to department or section editor to managing editor to editor-in-chief. The normal succession to the top editorial post involves stops along the way at the various sublevels. With each increasing level comes more responsibility for managing subordinates. Also, as editors advance through the newspaper hierarchy, a wide breadth of knowledge is imperative. Students hoping to become editors would do well to pursue a double major in college with a focus in political science or economics to complement their journalism training.

Employees who are working in advertising sales offices typically also have a background in journalism and an understanding of how a newspaper works. Again, journalism degrees are common, as are degrees in advertising and marketing. Employees working in upper-level circulation positions also are expected to have journalism training in addition to marketing skills. Just as internships provide practical experience for other staff, those aspiring to a career in newspaper advertising or circulation should acquire a working knowledge of the business before seeking employment.

See also:Editors; Newspaper Industry; Writers.