Tips for the Upcoming Journalist

Covering the latest news with interviews and onsight reports, you see journalists do it with ease. Or seemingly. Being in this particular area of work isn't exactly as easy as it seems. There are many tips that can help you become successful. First of all, the dress.

With their shirts and hairdo's, you'd imagine that a journalist spends hours getting ready. In reality, they just make sure their tophalf looks good, and usually just throw together their pants and shoes. Being comfortable is one of the most important things to remember when going out to get stories. Always be prepared for different situations and expect the unexpected! Some dressing tips to remember...

Wet Areas - Large boots and old pants; flip flops and shorts

Hot Places - A fancy T-Shirt, some shorts and some flip flops

Cold Places - A nice long sleeve shirt or sweater, nice thick pants and boots.

Azeroth is full of many differing climates and they often change from one region to another. Be prepared and always carry one of each of these outfits so the weather doesn't catch you unprepared. You'll also most likely be climbing on trees or rocks to get out of the water to just to get a better view of something. This is one of the reasons it's important to be comfortable.
A story can pop up anywhere, so always be ready. Sometimes stories arn't so easy to find, so you also have to be on the lookout for an interesting event wherever you go.

Interviews are very often required to complete a story. Be prepared with smiles and nods when you go in for that interview. Know what you are going to ask and be ready with backup questions. Don't freak out or get nervous. Once you do this once or twice you'll get the hang of it and it'll be a breeze. If someone refuses to give an interview, thank them and walk away. If you are lucky and do get the interview, thank the person (creature?) for their time. A little politeness never hurt anyone.

Sometimes, if you really need information from a certain subject and being nice hasn't gotten you anywhere, you might want to soften them up a bit. Of course, this is only in extreme circumstances and usually if a subject refuses interview you shouldn't bother to go any further with them.

Being a journalist isn't all grim and work. Have fun and laugh a little! Hopefully these tips will help you get started, and maybe help you avoid some errors.

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By Isthla

The Azeroth Times