News stories make the people, news from Public Relations (PR), advertising, the print and broadcast media give education and help create awareness to the people.
People want to be heard, need a voice, want to know,need to be entertained and feel happy,all these needs are made possible by the Journalists.
Journalism makes life worth living. In fact, it is among the professions that create numerous job opportunities.
The young people studying journalism may not be aware of these opportunities because of the common slogan of “employment is scarce” and if there is employment at all, they believe it is only in the newsroom. However, beyond the newsroom, journalists can transit into other fields in the media space.
Trained journalists must leverage their skills in research, writing and storytelling as they have opportunities to take up careers in corporate communications where they can craft narratives which are compelling and engaging for companies.
Storytelling expertise, engaging contents can be created for marketing campaigns. With the knowledge of media and storytelling, journalists are great fit for public relation roles.
Jobs are available in digital media, creating content for online platforms, podcasts and social media.
Publishing is also an area of opportunity for journalists – a journalist can shift into book publishing, magazine, editing or online publishing.
Journalists can also use their skills to tell stories and advocate for non- profit organisations. Career opportunities are possible in government communications, speech writing or public affairs.
Similarly, research skills can be applied by journalists in ‘think tank’ (policy institute), research institutes and academic institutions.
Journalists who show interest in content creation can monetise their content on platforms like Substack, which allows reporters and writers publish their work and get paid, made possible by subscribers – and platforms with similar opportunities are present in Nigeria.
Platforms like Stears, Zikora, OkadaBooks and Yabibo allow journalists and writers create and sell newsletters, essays, publish their books and monetise their contents.
Journalists can equally explore the education sector for job opportunities by sharing their expertise through teaching journalism courses or leading writing workshops.
