Disha Goyal
Being a reporter is not a simple profession. Many people in fact believe it’s not a profession at all. Rather it is a great public service only to be done with discipline and passion.
Being a reporter can be painstaking work where one has to deal with a lot of stress and challenges. So no doubt there are very specific qualities a reporter possesses to achieve excellence in their field.
It all begins with having a ‘nose for news’. Surely it’s no magic to know what story has news value and potential but undeniably reporters do need a sort of sixth sense for news; knowing what event is actually news and how to reach it. Here a reporter must know how to identify the quality of the news and the timeliness. They need to know how to separate fluff from the substance news and the duration for which news remains news. Understanding different dimensions of a same story is a must because it helps in maintaining balance and fairness. They also need to understand the need for disseminating news meaning they need to be clear about their true purpose as a reporter.
It goes without saying that a reporter has to be hardworking and disciplined. Keeping high spirit to overcome stress and failure and taking self initiatives is a key. But apart from that some technical skills are required. Reporters need to have excellent communicating and writing skills. They should be efficient in conducting research and interviews. Developing resources and having substantial knowledge about the beats they are assigned is important. They need to be apt in understanding the trends and changes in the field and the world to keep up with them and improvise whenever necessary. Having a good contact network, social skills and developing a database is important as well.
Due to upcoming new technologies, reporters now also need to be able to work in different mediums such as print, broadcast and digital. Multitasking is an integral part of the job. Furthermore, no reporter can make valuable contributions to the field if they don’t follow professionalism and the ethical code of conduct. All these qualities make up a reporter meant for great achievements.
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