Journalism

Key resources

• Overview of journalism careers from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ)
• Journo Resources - articles, advice, "day in the life"
• Journalism.co.uk - news, current issues, guides and jobs
• Prospects' generic job profiles:
  • broadcast journalist
  • magazine journalist
  • newspaper journalist
  • science writer 

Research the sector and keep up with current issues by reading:

• trade news like Press Gazette and Hold the Front Page give you an insight into the sector. Many national newspapers and websites report on media news, such as the Guardian and the Independent
• information from the Association of British Science Writers and the Science Comms JiscMail mailing list for those interested in science writing

Use of AI in journalism

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has published a number of articles and reports on AI in journalism, and the views of both journalists and the public. Their 2025 report on AI adoption reveals increasing use of AI by journalists and newsrooms, but this does not seem to have given them more time for more complex and creative tasks. There is concern about the impact of AI on public trust in journalism.

Jobs in journalism are varied and the specific skills will depend on your role. Skills can include:

Journalism:

• communication - oral and written and the ability to adapt style appropriately
• ability to identify and tell a story
• ability to get a message across effectively in a variety of media
• effective research and interviewing skills
• understanding social media and how it can be used to engage public and generate stories
• using initiative and problem solving
• ability to work well under pressure
• creativity and innovation
• IT and technical skills
• maths and data analysis
• shorthand (100 words per minute) is still useful
• commercial awareness is important if you're considering freelance work.
• good subject knowledge if you work in a specific field.

Journalism is open to graduates of any degree, but some choose to take a postgraduate qualification in journalism to develop their skills. The best courses are accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) or the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC).

The Guardian Foundation offers a number of bursaries each year to support students from under-represented groups to do an MA in Journalism.

For more information about professional skills and how to develop them, see the York Strengths Professional Skills page.

Experience is essential if you want to work in journalism. You should think about:

• getting involved in student media at university
• writing a blog and being active on social media by following and engaging with journalists
• joining Writebase as a voluntary writer - write about popular culture and entertainment, covering a variety of genres
• organising your own work experience by making speculative applications - try local newspapers and magazines, or small local publishing houses
• applying for advertised internships, bearing in mind that these are very competitive (see jobs section below for websites)
• networking, which is very important in the creative sector as many jobs are discovered through word of mouth
• There are opportunities exclusively for under-represented groups, such as the Guardian Positive action scheme (BAME schemes, and a scheme for people with disabilities) and internships advertised by Creative Access (BAME and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds).

Journalism jobs are advertised:

• on websites like Guardian Jobs, Hold the Front Page, Jobs4Journalists, and Journalism.co.uk, with science communications roles on the Science Comms JiscMail mailing list
• through word of mouth, making networking very important
• Entry-level opportunities collated by Media Mentor (scroll down the page to the Journalism section)

Freelancers find work by pitching ideas to media organisations.

You’ll be expected to have a portfolio of your work, so save yourself time by putting this together as you build up your experience. Many budding journalists put this on their website or blog, but beware of copyright restrictions when including copy you wrote when working for media organisations.

There are a few graduate schemes but they are very competitive:

• BBC Trainee Schemes
• ITV News Traineeship (likely to open early in the year; some schemes open exclusively to candidates with a disability)
• Channel 4 trainee schemes
• Journo Resources for a list of journalism graduate trainee schemes

Find out more about applying for jobs.

There are lots of things you can do right now at university to help you get the skills and experience for a career in journalism:

• Get involved with student media - there are opportunities to get experience in print, online, magazine, TV and radio
• Keep an eye out for relevant events to build your skills and meet potential employers
• Join a student society and get involved - as well as having fun, you'll be developing skills such as teamwork, organisation, project management and more
• Look for other opportunities to develop your creativity, communication and time management skills. Check our volunteering pages for ideas
• Check for internship opportunities in York through York Internships, advertised on Handshake
• Consider a placement year to get twelve months of real-world experience
• If you're thinking about freelancing, get involved in enterprise activities to develop your commercial awareness
• Listen to relevant episodes of our What do you actually do? podcast

Join York for Life to connect with our global network of alumni. Start building your own network - find people from your course, look at different careers, ask questions and request a mentor.

Use LinkedIn to make connections, follow organisations of interest, and find out what York graduates are doing. Find out more about using LinkedIn and networking.

This LinkedIn profile of a York graduate working in journalism may provide a useful reference as you begin exploring the field:

Oscar Bentley, BBC Political Journalist

Podcasts

Keep up to date with the sector and learn about the types of jobs available with these podcasts.

• Relevant episodes of our What do you actually do? podcast:
  • Bringing social media into The Economist, with Adam Smith
  • Climate Communications Consultant
  • A day in the life of a BBC journalist, with Lucy Vladev
  • Investigative journalist
  • Journalism researcher at the BBC
  • Writing for a living, with Lewis Lansford

Blogs

• Jon Slattery, freelance journalist in the UK
• Hold the front page fortnightly law column blog