Just like every profession in the world, there are pros and cons of Journalism too. One of the oldest profession in the world has changed monumentally in the last few years owing to a staggering growth in technology. That said, the skeletal structure of the career remains the same. Compelling storytelling and fact-based reporting are still its strongest pillars. Here are a few pros and cons of Journalism we bet you didn’t know!
Pros and Cons of Journalism:
Pros:
1. Opportunity to work on challenging projects
If you’re working as a journalist, you’ll rarely have a dull day in your life. While you may be covering the elections one day, you might be reporting about an accident on the next. In addition to gaining knowledge first-hand about the events happening in your town or city, you get to work on a variety of beats like sports, politics, lifestyle and many more.
2. You learn for a living
A career for the curious, journalism allows you to learn something new every day. Whether it’s an event occurring in your community or global news from different corners the world, journalists get to be right where the action is! What’s more? Working against constant deadlines is an absolute adrenaline rush!
3. Opportunity to meet people
As a journalist, you will have the opportunity to meet and interact with people from all walks of life. In fact, conducting interviews with famous personalities is regarded as one of the many perks of being a journalist. You get to meet interesting people, learn about their stories and narrate them to an audience.
4. Benefits of a press card
A press card gives a journalist a feeling of privilege as by waving it around, you can get entry into almost any event happening in your city. In addition to the opportunity to report directly from the site, a press card also gives a journalist several social benefits like faster access to theater premiers, latest movies and even formal events.
Cons:
1. Not lucrative
Okay, let’s address the elephant in the room. Talk to any journalist and he/she will tell you that journalism isn’t a high-paying job. Unless you’re reached the level of Arnab Goswami or Rajdeep Sardesai, don’t expect a fat paycheck. As reported by payscale.com in 2018, the average pay for an entry-level journalist is INR 302,758 per year. A skill in editing is associated with high pay for this job. A journalist with 5 years of experience can expect to earn an average total compensation of INR 500,000 per annum.
2. Long workdays
A day in the life of a journalist can be very long especially when you’ve got to break that story and subsequently get that important interview. Furthermore, each story involves significant research a journalist needs to track down relevant sources and crosscheck facts. This can be quite tiresome for many and journalists are known to cancel social appointment more than once.
3. Stressful
Journalists are under constant stress to meet deadlines. Also, relentless travel can take a toll on the physical well being of a journalist. When there is an incident worth reporting, every news organization wants to be the first one to share it with their audience. If you don’t do well under stress, this probably isn’t the best profession for you.
4. Risk to life
More often than you can imagine, journalists risk their lives to cover a story. Whether it involves covering a riot, war zone or any other violent disturbance, journalists often work under threatening circumstances. If you’re going to be a crime journalist, you are bound to face intimidation, threats and non-lethal violence. If that’s something you’re not okay with, you should stay away from crime journalism.
These are the pros and cons of Journalism. There are great rewards and significant sacrifices of working in journalism, so it is for you to decide if you’re willing to weather the rain to experience the joy that the sun brings after.
Since you’re here, take a look at – Whether Or Not You Have A Degree In Journalism, You Can Still Become A Journalist!
