To jump from PR to journalism, focus on these 5 skills
News judgment, handling deadline pressure and, of course, writing ability are all crucial in both professions. Hone these essential tools for a smooth and successful transition.
It’s not uncommon to see journalists take their newsroom skills to the world of public relations.
Aside from having the edge of knowing exactly what editors look for, ex-journalists stand to get a nice raise on the PR side: According to 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the median public relations specialist salary is nearly $20,000 higher than the median reporter salary.
Some media professionals who start out in PR realize it’s not right for them. (It took a single three-month PR internship for me to realize I belonged on the other side of the fence.)
Maybe you can’t resist the allure of chasing and breaking a story, or perhaps you’d just like to publish your writing under your own byline. Whatever the reason, you’ve decided to make the less popular (but equally exciting) leap to journalism.
The core skills you learn and use in PR transfer well to the newsroom.
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