Some people falsely believe that only those who have gone to journalism school are qualified to be a journalist. Others think that to be a journalist, one must work for a big newspaper company, or for television news networks. Then there is also the mistaken belief that a special permit from the government is required in order to be a “real” journalist. Of course, that is not true.
There are many types of journalist, and there are several ways to become one. Professional journalists, and citizen journalists, both have the same basic job to do. Often, the only difference is that one does it full time, while others do it part time. Should you happen to be at the right place at the right time to witness a very important story or event, you now have the opportunity to report on that event as a journalist with iNA.
If you have a story, and you follow accepted journalist practices, then there is no reason to not consider yourself a journalist. There might be a tendency for a professional journalist to minimize the roll of a citizen journalist, but in a news hungry world, everyone benefits from journalistic solidarity.
Should you be interested in making journalism a career, you have the option of pursuing a degree in journalism from a nearby college, but once you have the basics, there is no substitute for real-world experience.*