Journalism
Career Objectives
Searching for the truth and transparency in society
Make information available to as many people as possible, so that once they are informed they have the possibility to choose what they consider most appropriate, thus improving the democratic functioning of society.
Professional Profile
The professional of this career is related to what happens and why things happen in society. His task is to understand social reality and communicate it.
He has the adequate instrumental and technological training for dissemination in any media. He knows how to write correctly to reach the public and the way to express using the most appropriate language depending on: the type of news, the seriousness of the developments, the importance of the events, the target public and the means in which the news will be disseminated.
This task includes two aspects: Reports and opinion journalism.
Reports
Investigating is the only guarantee of truth and information transparency
The way to achieve it is through the *report, to be truthful, honest and timely witnesses of the events.
He must be able to communicate objectively. This means the journalist must search for the truth in not only one place, but in several parts, interview all the parties involved, collect all the events and versions, that is, investigate in an accurate way.
He must develop informative messages from reality data by transforming information into comprehensible words and images.
He must put distance regarding his own world views in order to describe the facts as they occur, so that they reach the public in an accurate and timely way, that is, at the time the events occur.
In this task of reporting it is also important that the professional has the ability to predict where a piece of news is happening.
Opinion Journalism
He must analyze the facts, know the causes produced them and interrelate them with other events that happen in society. Apart from considering the version of the parties involved in the events, he must include the cultural, historic, social and biographical contexts. For that, he must have a global vision, strong knowledge of the present time, of the causes of present and a cultural background that allows him work on deep research topics that give rise to truths. He has to investigate a lot, provide a different point of view and deliver his own contributions. He’s got a great social responsibility.
There are many problems, economical, political, that must be addressed differently.
He must be a trustworthy example for society, a public opinion maker that affects the whole society in one way or another, having an impact on educational, political, legal, economical, cultural and sociological matters.
Changes that new technology has brought in journalism
It has been said that for quite some time the idea that journalism would end because all the events/facts can be displayed online through the Internet.
But this is not the case, his work is complemented and this means becomes another tool to be used in this job, such as the radio, television, press.
This new technology allows him to use different editing software on television and the Internet, but his analysis and interrelation with the other events of reality are always provided by the journalist, there is also the report, the interview, which is indispensable for investigative journalism.
The possibility of sharing data, sounds and images at the same time throughout the world and that anyone can influence the messages.
Specific tasks or activities carried out in the profession
In his daily work, he must look, try to understand and tell... and for that he must study, know, write, talk, contact, in short.
Among his specific tasks there are:
*Reporting the news, looking into scientific, economical, social, political and cultural events, looking for the information in the event itself, interview, he participates in press conferences, he obtains photographs and all sorts of material that will serve to produce the corresponding journalistic message.
Once the information is obtained, he selects and processes it and prepares journalistic messages and makes them with the help of all the instruments current technology provides.
*Features Editor
As a presenter or as a critic, he analyzes the structure and contents of all types of journalistic messages, interpreting them and giving his opinion on the matter.
As an *Editor
He designs and prepares news shows for radio, television and graphics.
He performs the task of correspondent of news agencies (journalist in charge of transmitting the information from another country to the broadcast medium he works for).
He collaborates in the direction, production and reorganization of newspapers.
He collaborates in the organization and direction of news media.
He collaborates in the organization of press departments.
He collaborates in the organization of news agencies.
Access to managerial positions in teams of different media
Occupational Field
Newspapers
Magazines
Radio Stations
Publishing houses
Television
Public relations in organizations or companies
Press offices of big companies, multinational companies and public bodies
Internet (Multimedia Journalism)
Image advisors for public figures
Teaching in Universities and higher education Institutions
Estimated time of College years
4 to 5 years
The study plan and the exact duration, whether semi-annual or annual, will depend on the institution that imparts it.
Main courses considered in the study plan
Secondary school courses expected in the career
Social Science (20th Century)
Language (writing, spelling, written expression, oral expression, reading comprehension)
Training Courses
English
Science (milestones in the evolution and development of the scientific knowledge)
Politics
Contemporary History
Arts (forms of artistic expression such as drama, painting-sculpture, film, music, features of language used by each of them; most relevant topics of contemporary aesthetics)
*Social Anthropology
Statistics
Training courses prior to the specialty
Communication, oral and written expression and gestures
Photography
Visual Language
Written Script (Narrative)
Audiovisual Script (Narrative)
Radio Script (Narrative)
Theory of Communication
Information Workshop
Background Documentation
Theory of News
Democratic Theory
Economic Theory
Professional Area
Analysis of the Social Environment and its Historic Evolution
Social Research Objectives and Methods
Communication strategies and techniques
Information Law
Specialized Journalism
Journalistic Production
Information Technology
Theory and History of Journalism
Research Journalism
Ethics
Advertising and Public Relations
Mass Media Knowledge and Command (press, radio, film and television)
Communication and Media Information (Internet use, website creation, etc)
Specialties
Journalism includes different thematic specialties, such as: Cultural, Politics and Law, Economy and Business, Sports, Arts, Shows, etc.
Vocation, Skills and Interests required in the candidate for this career
Interests
Desire to acquire knowledge, especially about the human being, society, culture, science, art, religion, politics and history; He values being a cultured person.
He must show interest and curiosity about the present, national and international events. Be able to quiver with daily events, to feel intensely all that is news and to be always eager to know what is happening, no matter the topic or place.
Curiosity for looking for answers to the world where he lives
Interest in expressing his opinion regarding social events, communicate ideas and discuss them, seeking the truth by seeing the negative aspects and valuing the positive ones.
Interest in understanding beyond the events themselves, know why things occur in society, the reasons why humans acts in a way or another. Understand the background of the social reality, being in contact with it and interpret it.
To be keen on reading; it is a pleasure and entertaining, something to be proud of and not an obligation.
Interest in a very close interaction with an immense variety of human beings
Skills
Critical spirit
Analytical capacity
Communication skills, that is, ease to be understood by others
Eloquence, that is, know how to resort to valid reasons that support what has been said
Observation capacity and social perception
Written expression and oratory
Narrative skill
Vocation
For understanding social reality, communicating, raising awareness of realities and contributing to society.
Or any specific dream or longing which feels involved or oriented towards global vocation.
Candidate’s Personality
Thoughtful
Teamwork skills
Leadership ability
Active
Sociable
Manager
Work Scope
High activity, mobility, social contact and changing environment
Related Careers
Political Science
Glossary of Terms
Report: Going in search of the news.
Censorship: When an external means (authority, economic group or real power) prevents delivering information.
Analyze: Highlight the basic elements from a piece of information to understand and then compare, underline, distinguish, relate…
Interpret: Explain the meaning of something. Express reality in a personal way.
Investigate: Search, examine something carefully, find out, inform yourself, ask questions and run errands.
Feature: Newspaper article in which a current topic is discussed.
Information that a correspondent sends through a station, live or pre-recorded, about the events he observes or interprets.
Edit: Prepare the final version of a program for its subsequent broadcast.
Publish a work, newspaper, pamphlet, map, etc.
In the radio and on TV, edit electronically
Social Anthropology: Science that studies the human being in his social and cultural origins.
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