So You Want to Become a Journalist? - Test 4

B2 First · Multiple Matching · Cambridge English First 3, Cambridge University Press

You are going to read a magazine article about being a journalist. For questions 1–10, choose from the sections (A-D). The sections may be chosen more than once.

A journalist's life can be hectic. The morning is usually the busiest part of the day because the newspaper I work on has to be ready for printing by noon. I work on the features pages – that is, on longer articles, often about interesting people's lives, which requires a lot of thought and organisation. With some of our articles we can take time to think, do proper research and write them in advance. Whereas others are more urgent, timely pieces with a quick turnaround. I'm sometimes asked to write a story that's needed for the next day. It can be scary knowing you have to find lots of information, write around 1,000 words and get ideas for pictures in just a few hours. I like digging up stuff that hasn't been reported and then presenting it in a way that readers will understand and value. It's great when you see people reading and enjoying a piece you've written. At all times, you need to think about how a story can be sold – for example, what accompanying picture and headline will draw people in.

Writing an article can involve having to find people's addresses and knocking on doors to ask them questions. My job allows me to meet and talk to a huge range of interesting people, and it changes all the time. In just one week, I might be working on an interview with a singer, a piece about coffee shops and an investigation into an unsolved crime. I think I'd get bored working on one thing all the time! My least favourite thing is probably chasing people for answers – this can involve a long chain of people that eventually leads you to the one person you want to write about. You have to be patient and persistent, politely reminding people what you want and when. You have to know just how far you can push them.

Pursuing a career in journalism was a natural choice for me because I'd always read newspapers and been quite nosy about other people's lives. At university I did a bit of student journalism, editing the arts pages of a student newspaper and doing some writing. In my final year, I went to a careers talk about journalism. After I graduated, I emailed the journalist I'd met at the talk and asked her for work experience. I got it and really enjoyed it. People kept telling me that print journalism was dead, that there's no money in it in the age of the internet. But I figured that I'd give it a go anyway. I decided to take it seriously and get as qualified as I could. I've never regretted it.

For those considering a career in journalism, I would recommend reading as much as you can and keeping your eyes and ears open in everyday situations, which is great for getting ideas for stories. You also need to think about articles which work well and why, and remember this when you sit down to write your own. Being a good writer is an advantage, but in my experience journalism is as much about having new ideas and getting things done (preferably quickly). But don't assume you will be writing front-page stories, or even having your name on any articles at first. Initially, it's about getting to know the people and the system. If they like you, they're more likely to give you an interesting task, listen to your ideas or give you advice.

So you want to become a journalist?

Susannah Butter tells us what being a journalist is really like.

having to rely on others when researching a story?

how inspiration for articles can come from listening to people's conversations?

some views on the state of the profession?

the need to have realistic expectations?

the pressure of having to meet deadlines?

the importance of analysing what makes a good article?

getting a sense of satisfaction from the responses of readers?

the advantages of establishing positive relationships with other journalists?

variety being a benefit of working as a journalist?

the degree of preparation involved in producing different articles?

In which section does the writer mention

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