{"id":466,"date":"2025-07-22T20:09:27","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T20:09:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=466"},"modified":"2026-03-11T20:55:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T20:55:25","slug":"13-2-turning-journalism-into-a-writing-career","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/chapter\/13-2-turning-journalism-into-a-writing-career\/","title":{"rendered":"13.3 Turning Journalism into a Writing Career"},"content":{"raw":"<img src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/156\/2025\/07\/Morgan_Journalism-textbook-chapter-279x300.png\" alt=\"Graphic titled \u201cCareers and Writing Beyond the Classroom\u201d with simple icons representing communication and work: a pen with speech bubbles, a camera, a laptop, and a person sitting at a desk writing.\" width=\"503\" height=\"541\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-468\" \/>\r\n<h2>Exploring Community Journalism<\/h2>\r\nIf you're someone who likes writing, asking questions, or finding out what\u2019s really going on, journalism could be a great career path for you. Journalists are writers who tell true stories. They report on the news, interview people, and explain events or issues that affect others. If you enjoy using writing to inform, connect, or even challenge people\u2019s thinking, journalism might be a perfect fit for you.\r\n\r\nJournalism is a writing career with many options. You could write for a digital newspaper, magazine, podcast, YouTube channel, or website. While some journalists focus on national or global news, others write about politics, entertainment, the environment, health, or science. There are also journalists who focus on things happening in their neighborhoods. That\u2019s called community journalism, and it\u2019s one of the best places to start.\r\n\r\nCommunity journalists cover local stories that matter to people in their community. With your smartphone, you could interview and photograph the owner of a new small business opening in your neighborhood. By reporting from where you live, you can help people understand what\u2019s going on around them\u2014and often, they inspire change. There are probably numerous digital media platforms in your community looking for reporters and they may provide free community journalism training.\r\n<h2>Solutions Journalism<\/h2>\r\nSolutions journalism is an example of a newer type of local reporting. You know the problems that need to be solved and the people or programs that need to be celebrated in your community. Instead of just reporting on problems, these journalists look at how people are trying to solve those problems. They ask: Is this solution working? Could others learn from it? This kind of journalism is growing fast, and it's great for writers who want to focus on positive, fact-based change. You can learn more at the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.solutionsjournalism.org\/\"><span style=\"color: #800000\"> Solutions Journalism Network<\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #800000\">.<\/span>\r\n<h2>Documenters<\/h2>\r\nAnother exciting way to get involved in community journalism right now is through Documenters. This<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wF3s_eOQsKo&amp;t=10s\"><span style=\"color: #800000\"> program<\/span><\/a> trains everyday people\u2014like students, workers, and others\u2014to cover public meetings in their cities. You don\u2019t need experience. You will get paid to take notes, live tweet, or write summaries of government meetings like school boards, city councils, or housing commissions. Some documenters go on to write for their local digital media platforms. You can learn more and see if there is a program available in your city by visiting<span style=\"color: #800000\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.documenters.org\" style=\"color: #800000\"> documenters.org<\/a>.<\/span>\r\n\r\nA career in writing\u2014especially journalism\u2014begins with asking good questions, writing clearly, and staying curious. With time and practice, your writing can do more than fill a page or even a report. You can inform people, tell important stories, and even help create change. If you want your writing to make a difference, this is a path worth exploring.\r\n\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\r\nOpenAI. \u201cImage of careers and writing beyond the classroom generated by ChatGPT.\u201d ChatGPT, 5 June 2025,<a href=\"https:\/\/chat.openai.com\/\"><span style=\"color: #800000\"> https:\/\/chat.openai.com\/<\/span><\/a>. Accessed 5 June 2025.\r\n\r\n\u201cSolutions Journalism: The Whole Story.\u201d YouTube, uploaded by Solutions Journalism Network, 18 Oct. 2018,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wF3s_eOQsKo\"><span style=\"color: #800000\"> https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wF3s_eOQsKo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #800000\">.<\/span>","rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/156\/2025\/07\/Morgan_Journalism-textbook-chapter-279x300.png\" alt=\"Graphic titled \u201cCareers and Writing Beyond the Classroom\u201d with simple icons representing communication and work: a pen with speech bubbles, a camera, a laptop, and a person sitting at a desk writing.\" width=\"503\" height=\"541\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-468\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/156\/2025\/07\/Morgan_Journalism-textbook-chapter-279x300.png 279w, https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/156\/2025\/07\/Morgan_Journalism-textbook-chapter.png 1004w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 503px) 100vw, 503px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Exploring Community Journalism<\/h2>\n<p>If you&#8217;re someone who likes writing, asking questions, or finding out what\u2019s really going on, journalism could be a great career path for you. Journalists are writers who tell true stories. They report on the news, interview people, and explain events or issues that affect others. If you enjoy using writing to inform, connect, or even challenge people\u2019s thinking, journalism might be a perfect fit for you.<\/p>\n<p>Journalism is a writing career with many options. You could write for a digital newspaper, magazine, podcast, YouTube channel, or website. While some journalists focus on national or global news, others write about politics, entertainment, the environment, health, or science. There are also journalists who focus on things happening in their neighborhoods. That\u2019s called community journalism, and it\u2019s one of the best places to start.<\/p>\n<p>Community journalists cover local stories that matter to people in their community. With your smartphone, you could interview and photograph the owner of a new small business opening in your neighborhood. By reporting from where you live, you can help people understand what\u2019s going on around them\u2014and often, they inspire change. There are probably numerous digital media platforms in your community looking for reporters and they may provide free community journalism training.<\/p>\n<h2>Solutions Journalism<\/h2>\n<p>Solutions journalism is an example of a newer type of local reporting. You know the problems that need to be solved and the people or programs that need to be celebrated in your community. Instead of just reporting on problems, these journalists look at how people are trying to solve those problems. They ask: Is this solution working? Could others learn from it? This kind of journalism is growing fast, and it&#8217;s great for writers who want to focus on positive, fact-based change. You can learn more at the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.solutionsjournalism.org\/\"><span style=\"color: #800000\"> Solutions Journalism Network<\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #800000\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Documenters<\/h2>\n<p>Another exciting way to get involved in community journalism right now is through Documenters. This<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wF3s_eOQsKo&amp;t=10s\"><span style=\"color: #800000\"> program<\/span><\/a> trains everyday people\u2014like students, workers, and others\u2014to cover public meetings in their cities. You don\u2019t need experience. You will get paid to take notes, live tweet, or write summaries of government meetings like school boards, city councils, or housing commissions. Some documenters go on to write for their local digital media platforms. You can learn more and see if there is a program available in your city by visiting<span style=\"color: #800000\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.documenters.org\" style=\"color: #800000\"> documenters.org<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>A career in writing\u2014especially journalism\u2014begins with asking good questions, writing clearly, and staying curious. With time and practice, your writing can do more than fill a page or even a report. You can inform people, tell important stories, and even help create change. If you want your writing to make a difference, this is a path worth exploring.<\/p>\n<p>Works Cited<\/p>\n<p>OpenAI. \u201cImage of careers and writing beyond the classroom generated by ChatGPT.\u201d ChatGPT, 5 June 2025,<a href=\"https:\/\/chat.openai.com\/\"><span style=\"color: #800000\"> https:\/\/chat.openai.com\/<\/span><\/a>. Accessed 5 June 2025.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSolutions Journalism: The Whole Story.\u201d YouTube, uploaded by Solutions Journalism Network, 18 Oct. 2018,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wF3s_eOQsKo\"><span style=\"color: #800000\"> https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=wF3s_eOQsKo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #800000\">.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":["charlotte-morgan"],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[62],"license":[],"class_list":["post-466","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","contributor-charlotte-morgan"],"part":461,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":744,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/466\/revisions\/744"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/461"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/466\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=466"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=466"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/csueng100101fall2023\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}