Is it much harder for a female to be a journalist?

Okay so I pretty much opened this topic because it's something I'm thinking about doing. And having been a silent reader of the debate mansion, I do appreciate the different opinions.

So what do you think? Is it much harder for a female to be a journalist? What can be the difficulties? Also, does this profession work everywhere?

I need to choose a major for my next semester. But my parents aren't too keen about this profession. They think it's not a high paying job and could be a dangerous one too.

Also, if not a journalist, what other options could I have that are similar to this?

I would really appreciate some help.

see a career counsellor. They check your aptitude and scholastic scores while advising you. Also depends on whats topmost in your mind regarding a career- money, fame, adventure, creativity..

I think whether female for male, you need to have passion for journalism to become a journalist. It is dangerous for any one but passion is what makes people face dangerous l

As for the dangerous side to journalism, it is no different than many other professions. Is it any different for a female ?

I do not think so, i consider some examples of daredevil female journalists

1) Theresa Rahman
2) Christianne Amanpour
3) Barkha Dutt

I would say , you go journalism profession , if you have the passion for it won's make a difference whether you study journalism or not . I know of at least one instance, where the person had a passion for journalism but did engineering graduation and after graduation he became a journalist and is happy being a journalist for last 17 yesrs!!

Like any other professional field, even journalism has different streams. This filed is not about "BREAKING NEWS" all the time. It is multi-faceted and covers a wide range of areas. Don't know why folks confuse journalism with "bhes badal ker terrorists key camp mei ghusna" kind of activities! You can opt for safer fields instead of going for investigative journalism.

Types of journalism

Fashion journalism: Fashion journalism is all about articles or reports related to the fashion world. Journalists are also known as fashion writers or fashion editors. The primary job is to cover the latest in the fashion business or develop lifestyle articles. Such fashion articles can be found in magazines and newspapers. Today, there are many television channels that cater only to fashion, which gives ample opportunity for journalists who have a passion to cover such topics.

News journalism: Here, the primary aim of the journalist is to report news in a straight-forward manner that covers all the required facts. The style is direct with focus on the gist of the story with other necessary points. The news style should be concise and precise. The facts must be crosschecked which makes the news item as authentic as possible without any media bias. Here, the news story can be for the print media, television, radio, etc. Such news pieces often cover politics and social movements. News stories based on political suppression, public movements or abuse of human rights have proved instrumental in effecting many a social change, or giving voice to the oppressed. Similarly, cultural events are also covered in news journalism.

Celebrity journalism: As the name suggests, the journalist is connected to news and events related to celebrities from the entertainment world and also includes celebrities from other fields such as music, sports, dance, art, politics, etc. This journalism is all about news that is related to their professional and personal life. Reporting gossip is one of the angles of celebrity journalism, wherein journalists are often accused of misconstruing news or quotes in a deliberate fashion. This journalism is particularly popular with newspapers, magazines and television.

Investigative journalism: This type of journalism is about unearthing facts and studying cases that may require more efforts, which can take months or even years. Journalists who specialize in investigative journalism create headlines with news that expose scandals. Sometimes, persistent followup of a story proves beneficial to uncover some hitherto unsolved cases. This would require in-depth research from the journalist along with evidence.

Sports journalism: Here, journalists spend hours reporting on a particular sport event. A journalist has to report the accurate facts and statistics related to that event. Interviews with celebrity sport stars are yet one of the interesting features of sports journalism. Although sports-lovers watch the live coverage thanks to the media, there are many people who still enjoy reading or watching in-depth details about the event.

Citizen journalism: Here, it is not the professional journalists who are responsible for the news reports. Any citizen can participate and report news to the media. He/she collects and reports news to the media and participates voluntarily to offer help to the media. They bring to notice issues that may have been missed by media houses.

Environmental journalism: There are many journalists who prefer to cover issues related to the environment and its protection and conservation. Environmental journalists may only report about the news while some work for a cause.

Business and finance journalism: Here, the journalist or reporter covers in-depth reports about the latest in business, launch of products, stock markets etc. There are many shows dedicated only for business news on television whereas in newspapers, one can find a special section dedicated to this subject.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-journalism.html

you left out yellow jounalism Gauri 😆

Originally posted by: angie.4u

you left out yellow jounalism Gauri 😆

Oh, she can add that color to any of the listed fields😆 Thodi imagination toh topic opener kee bhi honee chahiye na😆

not if you look like this:



😳

@qazplm - I'd suggest first and foremost read the article Gauri has posted. Many people have a misconception of what journalism is all about and that should clear up all that. Only thing I would add is that there are other niche journalism sections like food/travel/lifestyle journalism, journalism related to hobbies, homemaking, technology etc.

Apart from the categories mentioned the medium of journalism also varies there is television, radio, print (newspaper/magazine), web which also includes the newly developing realm of social media.

As for women in journalism some realms and topics are more conducive to women, while some fields are male dominated. However, that does not always have to be the case. Christiane Amanpour has actually commanded a lot of respect for her journalism in dangerous and hotbed places like Somalia, Balkans, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, Afghanistan etc and is known as one of the best journalists to cover some delicate issues in depth. ESPN and Sportscasting was a completely male dominated realm until Erin Andrews came by. She also proved that a woman does not have to become masculine and just one of the boys to cover sports with a passion. Yes, she has faced tons of sexual harassment, death threats and other issues - but at the same time she has just kept going on.

Think through what you want to do, what journalism you want to focus on and which type of media. Local media and journalism is easier and equally accessible. Television and some coveted media realms are tough climbs for men and women easily. So research it through and make a wise choice. Some aspects really need a hardcore passion for journalism, some aspects could do with soft sells.

No matter what sort of journalism you wish to pursue you need a pretty good basic degree in the selected subject, be it Business or Science or politics etc.

In certain coutries covering subjects like politics can be pretty sensitive and could be life threatening.