Profession crime journalist

Crime journalists research and write articles about criminal events for newspapers, magazines, television and other media. They conduct interviews and attend court hearings.

Personality Type

• Artistic / Enterprising

Knowledge

• Interview techniques

  The techniques for getting information out of people by asking the right questions in the right way and to make them feel comfortable.

• Editorial standards

  The guidelines on how to deal with and report on privacy, children, and death according to impartiality, and other standards.

• Grammar

  The set of structural rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language.

• Writing techniques

  The different techniques to write a story such as the descriptive, persuasive, first person and other techniques.

• Court procedures

  The regulations which are in place during the investigation of a court case and during a court hearing, and of how these events occur.

• Copyright legislation

  Legislation describing the protection of the rights of original authors over their work, and how others can use it.

• Spelling

  The rules concerning the way words are spelled.

• Criminal law

  Th legal rules, constitutions and regulations applicable for the punishement of offenders.

Skills

• Record court procedures

  Record all the information necessary for proper record maintenance during court hearings, such as the people present, the case, the evidence presented, the sentence made, and other important matters which were brought up during the hearing.

• Consult information sources

  Consult relevant information sources to find inspiration, to educate yourself on certain topics and to acquire background information.

• Study topics

  Carry out effective research on relevant topics to be able to produce summary information appropriate to different audiences. The research may involve looking at books, journals, the internet, and/or verbal discussions with knowledgeable persons.

• Build contacts to maintain news flow

  Build contacts to maintain a flow of news, for example, police and emergency services, local council, community groups, health trusts, press officers from a variety of organisations, the general public, etc.

• Interview people

  Interview people in a range of different circumstances.

• Follow ethical code of conduct of journalists

  Follow the ethical code of conduct of journalists, such as freedom of speech, right of reply, being objective, and other rules.

• Write to a deadline

  Schedule and respect tight deadlines, especially for theatre, screen and radio projects.

• Participate in editorial meetings

  Participate in meetings with fellow editors and journalists to discuss possible topics and to divide the tasks and workload.

• Stay up to date with social media

  Keep up with the trends and people on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

• Evaluate writings in response to feedback

  Edit and adapt work in response to comments from peers and publishers.

• Follow the news

  Follow current events in politics, economics, social communities, cultural sectors, internationally, and in sports.

• Apply grammar and spelling rules

  Apply the rules of spelling and grammar and ensure consistency throughout texts.

• Develop professional network

  Reach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up to date on their activities.

• Use specific writing techniques

  Use writing techniques depending on the type of media, the genre, and the story.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB