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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