What are the skills a journalist needs in 2021?

 

1. A journalist needs a good memory more than ever before. I am aware of entire documents and statistics changing online. Most ppl today get their content from online sources, which, by definition, can be altered, a la 1984, much, much faster.
2. A hunger for information. A real, inborn hunger. Not a learnt one.
3. Ability to see both sides of view. Ability to start with the assumption that every story has more than one side and all sides must be heard, and reported, accurately.
4. Ability to put people at ease. Very important.
5. A journalist must remember that the word journaling means - Recording. it does not mean - interpreting, Opining, taking sides.
6. This is the hardest - to keep one’s biases out of one’s writing like one keeps one’s hair out of one’s eyes.
7. The ability to say NO when temptation is offered, because it will be offered.
8. The ability to capture a 15000 word story in under 500 words.