> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://interhacktives.mymagic.page/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Our favourite #AdviceForYoungJournalists - URL: https://interhacktives.mymagic.page/favourite-adviceforyoungjournalists/ - Published: 2015-02-11T11:28:03.000Z - Updated: 2015-02-11T11:28:03.000Z - Author: Rebecca Sentance - Tags: Audience & Social, News, advice for young journalists, news, social media, student journalism, trending, Twitter, #Migrated-1793717950415, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-11-03 14:59 If you were on Twitter yesterday, you probably noticed the trending hashtag ~~#~~**AdviceForYoungJournalists,** which was sparked off by a bitingly cynical [blog post](http://fusion.net/story/45832/to-all-the-young-journalists-asking-for-advice/?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) from financial journalist Felix Salmon. His advice to young wannabe journalists contacting him for guidance is this: don't become journalists. At least, not if you want to get paid, or have anything that resembles an actual career. Forty-eight hours on and the hashtag is still going strong, featuring contributions from old veteran hacks, fresh-faced newbies, bitter ex-journos, and - for some weird reason - [Joss Whedon](https://twitter.com/josswhedon/status/564952923025584128?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page). Some of the advice has been funny, some of it obnoxious; many of the advice-givers are clearly pushing an agenda or taking the opportunity to have a sly dig at an industry they hate. But there's also a lot of genuine, heartfelt advice to be found. And it says something about the state of journalism that a lively debate around its future prospects can spring up so easily and last for so long, with so many people eager to weigh in. Needless to say, we Interhacktives - as young journalists - don't buy into the idea that journalism is a doomed career path. Among the wave of bitterness and snark, we found a lot of helpful tips, so we've rounded up for you here our favourite #AdviceForYoungJournalists. #### Common-sense advice Some of the best advice given sounds a lot like pure common sense, but at some point every journalist will be learning these things for the first time. For more experienced journalists, it never hurts to have a reminder, either. > Everyone has a story to tell, some are buried some are obvious. Be observant. [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > > — Henry Lorenz (@HenryLorenz) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/HenryLorenz/status/565169806362824704?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) Report. Really report. Insert new bits of information into the world. > > — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/564940833149812736?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) Pick up the phone. Not joking. Ring them up. In person. On their cell phone. At the weekend. > > — emily bell (@emilybell) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/emilybell/status/564982394701484033?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > Best three interview questions: Really? Oh? Go on... [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > > — Kay Burley (@KayBurley) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/KayBurley/status/565110419959054336?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) This one in particular has been a key point in our interview classes so far: > I've never learned anything while I was talking. Always listen! [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > > — Larry King (@kingsthings) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/kingsthings/status/565246514755567619?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) #### Practical advice It's easy to say vague things that sound sage and profound, but how about some solid advice that you can really act on? > The best way to become a good journalist is to practice journalism. Talking about it only goes so far. [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > > — Jeff Brady (@jeffbradynpr) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/jeffbradynpr/status/565166648743960576?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > So, genuine advice for people wanting to get into writing. Dive head first in. Throw time and energy at it for a long time, then keep going. > > — LauraKButtz (@LaurakBuzz) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/LaurakBuzz/status/565115927268966401?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) A practical tip for students from our own Ben Jackson: > [#AdviceforYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceforYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) get involved in student media. Do it now > > — Ben Jackson (@bjacksonuk) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/bjacksonuk/status/564947809921945601?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) Learn how to code so you can drink good beer in your 30's. > > — Mark David (@The\_MDA) [February 9, 2015](https://twitter.com/The%5FMDA/status/564930095891369984?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) Our Social Media and Community Engagement lecturer, Ben Whitelaw, also gave some advice which almost all of the Interhacktives are happy to be practicing next month: > Journalism isn't just writing. My [#adviceforyoungjournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/adviceforyoungjournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) would be to attend [#buildthenews](https://twitter.com/hashtag/buildthenews?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) in March. Details: [http://t.co/DFEMvbr2ML](http://t.co/DFEMvbr2ML?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > > — Ben Whitelaw (@benwhitelaw) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/benwhitelaw/status/565165827008516096?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) #### Advice for a changing field We can't forget that the reason Felix Salmon wrote his blog post in the first place is because the field of journalism has changed massively with the rise of the internet, and has continued to shift and change ever since. Here is some smart advice on how to stay ahead of the curve in a constantly evolving industry: > [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) Job I do today didn't exist when I started out. Be adaptable, embracing new things but always keep standards high > > — Iain Reid (@iainreid) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/iainreid/status/565089472656969729?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) Be different. You're our only chance of breaking the hegemony > > — James McMahon (@jamesjammcmahon) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/jamesjammcmahon/status/565085623858782210?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > Be flexible, because jobs are scarce. And follow the money. And spell last names correctly! [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) [#ItAintLikeTheMovies](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItAintLikeTheMovies?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > > — Paul Badertscher (@PaulBadertscher) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/PaulBadertscher/status/565174530843611137?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > After all the shifts in newsrooms & tech, my [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) would be: focus on telling stories,that's all the readers care about > > — Richard Kendall (@richardkendall) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/richardkendall/status/565067635252264960?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > Read a lot. Write more. And beware of advice from has-been journalists who rose in a different era. [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > > — Nicholas Kristof (@NickKristof) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/NickKristof/status/565002487149907968?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) My personal favourite series of Tweets came from Randy Lilleston, editor-in-chief of business news site [Industry Dive](http://www.industrydive.com/?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page). He managed to succinctly sum up what is currently happening in the journalism industry and why, and how to succeed in the midst of it: > [#adviceforyoungjournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/adviceforyoungjournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) I've always found people who succeed in j. in the long term love what they're doing and are \*open to learning\* > > — Randy Lilleston (@RLilleston) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/RLilleston/status/565170023548059648?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > [#adviceforyoungjournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/adviceforyoungjournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) What j. is doing now is weeding out underperformers who won't learn new skills > > — Randy Lilleston (@RLilleston) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/RLilleston/status/565170070255837184?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > [#adviceforyoungjournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/adviceforyoungjournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) That's the byproduct of no longer being a monopoly biz > > — Randy Lilleston (@RLilleston) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/RLilleston/status/565170118075121665?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > [#adviceforyoungjournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/adviceforyoungjournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) So this is a GREAT business -- if you love what you do and never stop learning > > — Randy Lilleston (@RLilleston) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/RLilleston/status/565170162274684928?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) > [#adviceforyoungjournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/adviceforyoungjournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) Just remember advice Agent J got in Men in Black: It's worth it, if you're strong enough > > — Randy Lilleston (@RLilleston) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/RLilleston/status/565170194247852033?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) And finally, one last piece of practical advice from our Online and Data Journalism lecturer, Paul Bradshaw: > [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) learn curation and embedding by summarising the best of the [#AdviceForYoungJournalists](https://twitter.com/hashtag/AdviceForYoungJournalists?src=hash&ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) hashtag > > — Paul Bradshaw (@paulbradshaw) [February 10, 2015](https://twitter.com/paulbradshaw/status/565177466344718337?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page) Done and done. Thanks for the tip, Paul! *Header image:* [*Esther Vargas*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/esthervargasc/8346009325/in/photolist-dHvtNv-dkvj7h-ay7n1M-9HshFP-jzQ7gH-ku59L3-akrDb2-avcohG-5eogJk-fE8jta-9ZHtq7-8Y1o2q-3K92tp-py979G-pQBrZW-pQxf7Z-pQip9a-pNrEoE-py94xj-py6ZsX-py3z7v-oTFDDw-84TPtE-py71UV-py3C42-py72Qc-pQBt7q-7Nfv1D-oTFMQ1-oTJTvc-6Xa9UA-pNrMK3-oTJPDp-pQBuPd-oTJMQ4-dkvgJR-oTJUBv-py7arK-pQixbn-py3G1a-oTFLqh-pNrKfd-oTJNvc-py6frC-bN9PFX-p9BX5a-zTYaH-4k18mX-q4h2gm-pQixxe?ref=interhacktives.mymagic.page)