How to Get Started
Start writing
Learn how to find the stories that are all around you. Put them in clear, hard-hitting narrative for your school newspaper, for your yearbook, maybe for the weekly or daily newspaper that serves your community. Write letters to the editor. Put your writing in a journal. Most importantly, get feedback from a teacher or from a professional about how your writing can improve.
Start reading
Dig into many differents kinds of newspapers, magazines, biographies of journalists, histories of journalism.
Get to know the hardware and software
It's not enough to know the names of the software. You have to be able to work wonders with each type. Sure they change fast. But the principles behind each tend to overlap with others. Get familiar with the ones used by the professionals to put text, photos and graphics on pages.
Shadow people
Ask if you can spend a day at your local daily or weekly newspaper, or at a magazine or public relations firm in the biggest city near your home. Ask at several locations.
Volunteer your writing, editing, photos or web skills
The word is experience. You get that by putting what you know to work. Forget the pay for now. You want your stuff out there for people to see. Put it in newsletters or magazines for your church or denomination, local businesses, missions agencies, even a campaign office!
Talk to people who are doing journalism
Email them, do lunch with them, shoot hoops with them, but find out how they think
Attend a student or professional journalism or print media convention
Your state press association offers annual conventions. It might even have a separate one geared to teens . Attend it, take notes, collect business cards, keep in touch.
Learn a foreign language
The future of American journalism is multi-cultural and bi-lingual journalists will be in demand.
Travel and Meet People
Fascinating journalism comes from journalists who have been around. Get to know your world and the people in it. Ask God to help you become fascinated with life's stories.
Visit our campus, meet the faculty, meet our students, and see if this is where God wants you to prepare for the exciting worlds of journalism in the U.S. and around the planet)
Make plans to attend Asbury College
Visit our campus, meet the faculty, meet our students, and see if this is where God wants you to prepare for the exciting worlds of journalism in the U.S. and around the planet).