Ananya Nigam
A reporter is a journalist who goes out & gets the scoop on the news and informs the masses. It is said that a reporter is both eyes & ears of the news organization. It is not possible to strictly prescribe qualifications that a good reporter must possess. But novice reporters should train themselves informally for the job to discharge their responsibility with courage, confidence & competence.
It is true that one must possess the right attitude towards the vocation. This would include intelligence, initiative, industry, general competence & objectivity.
One of the most important qualities of a reporter is *nose for news*, for this he/she must know what constitutes news and understand the basics essentials of news worthiness: timeliness, impact, etc. Second quality is *good communication skills & ability to establish contacts*: A reporter must have the ability to win confidence and respect of those who are potential sources of news. They should have a clarity of expression, skill of developing sources, team spirit, and should be courageous and disciplined.
Other integral qualities of a reporter consist, the ability to be an *unprejudiced observer*: A reporter must be an unprejudiced observer of events who presents facts to the readers in a balanced and objective way. *Ability to cope up with pressure* is another important skill, a reporter must inculcate. They should be equipped to handle different forms of media & have an idea of word limit & textual editing. Most importantly, they must abide by the *rules of regulations of the country* they work in.
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