Journalism

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   APoochposted 10 years ago

   Hello all. Is there anything I can do besides freelance writing/blogging, that can help me get my foot in the door in the journalism world? I've looked into internships, but I'm only a freshman in college, and all of them require junior-senior year of college. Any help/replies is greatly appreciated.

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      Marcy Goodfleischposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Hi, APooch - I sympathize - it does take a lot of work to break into journalism, and that's been the case for a while (ever since Watergate elevated journalism into everyone's consciousness).
      
      There are often unpaid opportunities to publish feature or essay types of pieces in local papers.  I realize this doesn't give you an income, but it will give you clips and a byline.  I have a few hubs on ways to get into journalism & to get a writing career off the ground, but we aren't supposed to use the forum to post links. I believe other writers on HP have written helpful hubs as well.
      
      Since the number of 'tips' would be huge, why don't you search HP for some keywords about writing, newspapers, journalism, etc. and read the great advice you'll see from experienced writers here?  Quite a few writers on our site have professional experience in newsrooms.
      
      Best of luck to you!

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      psycheskinnerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Being in college is a great opportunity to network.  I suggest finding someone there with relevant expertise and making an appointment to talk with them.

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      Lybrahposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You might want to try freelancing: Odesk.com and Elance.com are good for that.  You could make some money and gain experience.

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   Phyllis Doyleposted 10 years ago

   Have you discussed this with a counselor at your college? I think that would be a good idea. Another thought is to apply for a position at Yahoo! Voices. They have excellent free training to become a good journalist. They also give assignments to write on specific subject matter. You can choose the assignment you want, or you can write on any subject you want, or check to see what is trending. Examiner.com is another site that has very good free training. Both sites might be what you are looking for to get your foot in the door.

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3. 60

   APoochposted 10 years ago

   I'm definitely going to look into these suggestions. Thank you so much!

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4. 60

   The Examiner-1posted 10 years ago

   You could become good friends with someone at a paper or magazine. They might get you hired.

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5. 78

   Kathleen Cochranposted 10 years ago

   Join your college newspaper staff even if you have to volunteer.  Same with your local newspaper - experience is experience.  Hang around.  Learn things.  Submit articles.  Write obits if you have you.  Get your experience now while you are young. Enter creative writing contests.  Every college has them.

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