P R OF ES S I ON A LS

A ND
P R A C T IT I O N E R S
IN C OM M U N I C AT I ON
 1. COMMUNICATION
SPECIALIST
• ALSO KNOWN AS “PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALISTS”- THEY ESTABLISH POSITIVE
ASSOCIATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC AND MASS MEDIA IN BEHALF OF THEIR CLIENT.

• EMPLOYED BY BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES, THEY ARE TYPICALLY JACK OF ALL TRADES
WHO IS PARTICULARLY GOOD AT COMMUNICATING IN THE WRITTEN FORM.

• COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTS SEND DRAFT AND SEND PRESS RELEASES THAT CONTAIN
IMPORTANT UPDATES ABOUT THEIR CLIENTS.

• THEY ORGANIZE EVENTS AT WHICH THEIR CLIENTS CAN MEET WITH THE PUBLIC TO
INCREASE PRODUCT AWARENESS OR KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR SERVICES OR RECENT
DEVELOPMENTS.
 1. COMMUNICATION
SPECIALIST
• JOURNALISM, WRITING AND MARKETING DEGREES CAN
POTENTIALLY BE HELPFUL TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GO INTO
THIS FIELD.

• THE SPECIALIST MAY BE CONTRACTED ON A PART-TIME OR FULL-

TIME BASIS AS WELL AS HIRED TO WORK FROM HOME OR IN THE
OFFICE.
 CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
• ADVERTISING/MARKETING • POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
• BUSINESS • INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
• MEDIA/BROADCASTING
• PUBLIC RELATIONS
• JOURNALISM/PUBLISHING
• COMMUNITY RELATIONS
 2. JOURNALISM
• THE CORE PURPOSE OF JOURNALIST IS TO RESEARCH, DOCUMENT,
WRITE,
AND PRESENT THE NEWS IN AN HONEST, ETHICAL, AND UNBIASED WAY.
ALTHOUGH THE METHOD FOR REPORTING THE NEWS MAY BE CHANGING,
THE NEED FOR TALENTED, QUALIFIED AND EDUCATED JOURNALISTS ISN’T.

• A JOURNALISTS JOB DESCRIPTION STILL CALLS FOR HARD WORK,

ETHICS, QUALITY WRITING, AND, AT ITS HEART, THE DESIRE TO TELL THE
TRUTH.
 2. JOURNALISM
JOURNALISTS JOB INCLUDES:
1. INTERVIEWING PEOPLE IN A WIDE RANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
2. WRITING COPY FOR PUBLICATION ON A TIGHT DEADLINE.
3. BUILDING CONTACTS AND SOURCES FOR USE IN FUTURE
STORIES.
4. FACT-CHECKING THE INFORMATION GIVEN TO YOU BY A SOURCE.
5. CREATING BLOG PUBLICATION.
 2. JOURNALISM
• IN ALMOST ALL CIRCUMSTANCES THE JOURNALIST WILL NEED TO
• WORK LONG HOURS.
• CARRY AN UNPREDICTABLE SCHEDULE.
• BE ABLE TO ASK DIFFICULT QUESTIONS OFTEN IN AN EMOTIONALLY CHARGED SITUATIONS.
• FOLLOW CURRENT EVENTS, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR A STORY OPPORTUNITY
• BE ABLE TO DEVELOP A SOURCE
• PITCH STORY IDEAS TO EDITORS AND PRODUCERS
• ATTEND NEWS CONFERENCES
• STAY UP TO DATE WITH PRIVACY, CONTEMPT AND DEFAMATION LAWS.
 JOB OPPORTUNITIES
BROADCAST JOURNALISM:
• WHEN YOU THINK OF BROADCAST JOURNALISM, YOU MAY
THINK OF THE FAMOUS TV NEWS ANCHORS, BROADCAST
JOURNALISM HOWEVER, HAS MANY DIFFERENT FACETS,
BOTH IN FRONT AND BEHIND THE CAMERA. THERE ARE
LOCAL NEWS ANCHOR JOBS, TRAFFIC AND WEATHER
REPORTERS, AND PRODUCTION CREW.
 JOB OPPORTUNITIES
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM:
• INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM IS FINDING, REPORTING
AND PRESENTING NEWS WHICH OTHER PEOPLE TRY TO
HIDE. ITS VERY SIMILAR TO STANDARD NEWS
REPORTING, EXCEPT THAT THE PEOPLE AT THE CENTER
OF THE STORY WILL USUALLY NOT HELP YOU AND MAY
EVEN TRY TO STOP YOU FROM DOING THEIR JOB.
 JOB OPPORTUNITIES
PHOTOJOURNALISM:
• PHOTOJOURNALISM IS TELLING STORIES WITH
PHOTOGRAPHS. BUT ON TOP OF THAT, THE STORIES
CREATED MUST FOLLOW THE RULES OF JOURNALISM.
THEY MUST BE TRUE STORIES AND THE JOURNALIST
MUST TRY TO TELL THE STORY IN THE MOST FAIR,
BALANCED AND UNBIASED WAY POSSIBLE.
 JOB OPPORTUNITIES
SPORTS JOURNALISM:
• SPORTS JOURNALIST JOBS VARY ACROSS MEDIA,
ROLES AND CONTENT. SOME SPORTS JOURNALISTS
STICK WITH ONE EMPLOYER, AND DOES ONE FORM OF
MEDIA, WHILE OTHERS FREELANCE COVERING VARIOUS
SPORTS AND WRITING AND REPORTING FOR PRINT,
BROADCAST AND/OR ONLINE MILIEUS.