Understanding the Creative Media Sector

Understanding the Creative Media Sector. Assignment 4 unit 7 Nolan Benson ? Nolan Seth Benson Assignment 4 Unit 7 CONTENTS PAGE Page 1&2 – INTRODUCTION Page 3&4 – PRO’S AND CON’S OF FREELANCING Page 5&6 – IMPORTANCE OF NETWORKING Page 7&8 – VARIETY OF EMPLOYMENT ROLES Page 9&10 – OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION Page 10&11 – CONCLUSION&BIBLIOGRAPHY INTRODUCTION When you make a conscious decision to study and work towards something educationally, you have to know exactly what you want and where you want to go after the course, and what you will gain from the course.
Obviously when you start you have goals to work towards, so when it all comes together there is no better feeling. Knowing what you want is vital when choosing a career path, so putting in lots and lots of research will defiantly benefit you in the long run. When it comes to making a decision about your career path always keep yourself in mind and remember that you will have to make some sacrifices when it comes to getting your dream job. Our generation, the youth of today has been brought up in a false culture when instant ratification plays a major role in our day-to-day lives. Technology is always moving on and up to better things making us, and our world a more sophisticated place to live in. When it comes to employment opportunities, the world is your oyster. Especially living in England, we have connections all over the world so broadening your horizons will always benefit you in the long run, by the end of this report we should be able to understand exactly what opportunities and where will come your way when becoming a broadcast journalist.
We will consider the types of potential positions you could work in when working towards your final destination, I mean there is no fun in just getting to the top of your field without working hard in all different areas before. It’s highly unlikely that you will be able to jump right into what you want to do. You must take into consideration all the different things you will have to do and learn in order to acquire the skills that you will need to become a top broadcast journalist.

Starting from the bottom and making your way to the top is ideal by the end of this report we will find out exactly how to start at the bottom, make contact’s and connection that will ultimately help you in getting to the top. We will also have an in-depth look into all the places where people advertise for jobs and roles in the broadcast and journalism fields. We will look online especially because everything is going digital, but we will also have a look into what magazines and newspapers advertise for this sector.
We will also have a look at the importance of making good friends and acquaintances in the industry that can ultimately help you to elevate yourself above the rest of the competition and get you to your end goal. The importance of personal growth is not only a key factor in the broadcast and journalism sectors, but also in life itself. So when an opportunity comes around for you to gain knowledge and an understanding of your sector, grabbing it with both hands is really important. Make mistakes as you go, but make sure you never make the same mistake twice. Also actively seeking workshops or courses that will enhance your knowledge is key.
So don’t be lazy, be proactive! PRO’S AND CON’S OF FREELANCING PRO’S One of the pros of freelancing in the media industry is the fact that your working hours can be really flexible, this flexibility is great because it often means that you get to choose what hours you work, especially when working from home. This cuts down the time and money you spend commuting to and from work every day. Often when you get freelance work in the media industry it’s got to be in on a certain deadline, this gives you the option to manage your time the way you want to spend it.
If you’re a night owl, you can spend your day working on other projects, hobbies or simply enjoying the ‘free time’, with evenings spent working. Alternatively, if you wish to cram in lots of work into a 3-day week, it’s your prerogative as long as you meet your deadline and deliver quality work. However if you find that you aren’t really motivated when you are at home and can’t find the time to put in quality work under your own systems, then you seriously have to recognise and realise because handing in work of a poor quality will only tarnish your name and your reputation.
If you manage to become an established media freelancer people will trust you with work they need done. Getting to this point will take years and years of hard work and dedication but once you are established you will never find yourself without something to do. As a result of becoming established you get to choose exactly what work you want to do so if you particularly enjoy doing one aspect of film for example, you may be lucky enough to earn a steady income just doing that. But if you get bored there is always an opportunity to do some other medium of work.
CON’S As a freelancer, especially if you are still up and coming and not established and well known, your work and income for the month may not always be guaranteed. One major consideration you have to take in as a freelancer is weather you’ll be able to secure enough work to meet your financial needs. You might find that you will have to build up a portfolio of clientele, or if you are contracting yourself out to media companies there could well be dry spells when you don’t have work coming in and when you are looking for new work to go into.
So if you are considering freelancing, then it would be a good idea to either take on some part-time work while you build your portfolio of clientele, or you could save a little bit from each job as a contingency plan for when the work becomes scarce. You should also defiantly keep yourself in the loop when it comes to the world you are living in, recessions and economic slowdown can hit freelancers and contractors really badly. As a freelancer, unless you have your own accountant, you’ll have to take care of your own bookkeeping duties and tax affairs.
Weather you’ve set yourself up as a sole trader or a limited company, you’ll need to be up-to-date and precise when it comes to your tax affairs because you could be audited at any given time. PRO/CON You are your own boss! Becoming your own boss defiantly has its plus sides. For example, if you choose to take a week off on holiday, you don’t have to ask anyone else. There is no set start time for you to get to work, and there is no clock watching, waiting for the end of the day to arrive. You and only you reap the rewards and praise for your work, and you don’t have to share the profits with anybody else.
However, having no boss to make sure you are working can also have its downsides. For one, you will be liable for your reputation and any problems that arise. Your reputation, once dented, may take a long time to recover if you have networked extensively. There will be no one to share the load when the going gets tough, and you will have to deal with all your clients and their problems by yourself. Nevertheless, all of the above are hypothetical scenarios, and the chances are that if you are dedicated, passionate, motivated and punctual, then you will be able to make a success of yourself and your career when freelancing in the industry.
IMPORTANCE OF NETWORKING Why is networking so important within the industry? Incorrect networking could mean disaster when it comes to trying to progress in your chosen career. Networking done improperly could tarnish your name and your reputation within the industry. But done properly it is a key that will unlock many doors on the path towards making a well-respected name for yourself in the industry. I’m going to give you five points on why networking and meeting new people is key to progressing in your chosen career path. 1.
Networking is a really successful way to meet contacts that you would previously had no way of meeting or contacting. Meeting a prospective client face to face at a networking event or meeting is by far the best and most reliable and successful way to go about fixing up a business meeting with that person. If a physical and personal relationship is established before you pick up the phone or swop business cards and information – your chances of doing successful business together with that person probably tripled then if you had just cold called them. 2. Do not forget that everyone you network with has somebody else that they know.
Although your immediate group is extremely important, everyone that they know is as well. Your referral circle is widened greatly by joining a group of networking contacts. 3. If you do a good job for your customer and that said customer decides to recommend and refer you and your services to four of their colleagues, friends and family-that’s great. However if you’re part of a big networking group that meets once a month, and only ten-twenty members tell somebody they know about you and your business already your exposure has more than doubled. This is great because this gets more people aware and talking about you and what you can offer.
By growing the right network, the ultimate in “Word of mouth” marketing takes place. You promote your network, and your network ultimately promotes you. 4. It’s like having your own management team on standby. Businesses need to be prepared for all types of eventualities, especially in a recession. Unfortunately in a tough economic climate anything can happen and instead of having to rely on people and business that you don’t know in hard times – if you network strategically then you should have a selected group of people at your fingertips that you can call upon, if and when, you need support or elp. 5. If you are a small business or a just getting started in the industry you may feel that a networking group could bring to much business, workload that you might not be able to handle right now, due to being busy or understaffed etc. fear not though, networking provides you with a key to business –choice, its not like you are forced to do accept every piece of work that comes your way, instead you have the luxury of picking and choosing which customers and which work suits you and your schedule.
Sometimes if businesses are desperate for work then they are forced to take on anything that comes their way, even if it does mean working for less money. If there is a choice of clientele, then you maybe able to pick and choose whom you do business with. This gives you the ultimate freedom to work with people that will benefit your business and that will bring out the best in your work. VARIETY OF EMPLOYMENT ROLES (Broadcast Journalist) What can you expect and do in the job?
Broadcast journalism is the collection, verification and analysis of information about key events, which affect society and the people within society, the publication of information in a fair, accurate, impartial and balanced way to fulfil the publics right to know in a democratic society. This contains and involves a wide variety of media including radio, television the Internet and wireless devices. Broadcasting journalists involved with working in the television industry work in a number of different roles and genres, these include; news, current affairs, or documentaries.
Broadcasting companies may also employ them, or they could work on a freelance basis. The role of a Broadcast Journalist is to turn information into pictures and sound, reporting and producing live and/or recorded packages as well as researching, preparing and reading bulletins. You will be responsible for generating content from a wide range of subjects. You will be encouraging new contributors and developing their ideas as well as your own. You are likely to be working as part of a team, generating your own stories and bringing on board new ideas. ?You will be initiating and producing a wide range of news and current affairs material nd will be expected to carry out in-depth research to a broad brief, write material for programme scripts, bulletins etc and at all times exercise excellent editorial judgement and adhere to legal and good practice guidelines. ?You may carry out interviews and reporting duties, in both recorded and live situations, in a studio or perhaps on location. You can expect to be involved in originating and developing programme ideas to support forward planning of material and future programmes and provide briefings for reporters, camera crews and other resources staff and contributors.?
You will need to operate broadcast equipment: in radio, portable recording equipment, self-operating outside broadcasting vehicles and studio equipment in television, to direct camera crews on pre-recorded and live coverage, to oversee editing and operate gallery equipment.? You may be responsible for programme budgets, ensuring effective use of money and resources, supervise the work of Broadcast Assistants and most certainly, as a Broadcast Journalist you would need to develop and maintain local and perhaps national contacts and fulfill a public relations role. ww. startintv. com How to start and where you can go with it? Broadcast journalists should have successfully completed a degree in broadcast journalism, multi-media, TV or online journalism to name but a few. Everybody’s path is always different, but keeping opportunities open and available is key to getting the correct qualifications. IT and word processing qualifications are also required. Broadcast journalists obviously start their careers either as a runner or an assistant to an executive.
Other starting points could be as a researcher or a newsroom assistant, progression to becoming an on screen reporter, special correspondent, news presenters, and bulletin or programme editor will always be available if you are prepared to put in the hours as an assistant or researcher, becoming fluent in all these aspects will only serve to benefit you down the line. As a broadcast journalist you may also move into programme production or management roles, or become journalists, newspaper reporters or writers.
Some broadcast journalists may also start their careers working as newspaper or other print press journalists. The opportunity for career progression as broadcast journalist is ever growing, jobs are available across a range of functions, requiring different skills, knowledge and experience. Initially, a recognized journalistic qualification or substantial practical experience (3years+) is a good starting point. A special interest, for example, in sport, entertainment, fashion, arts etc, with a good general knowledge of current affairs would defiantly support your career as a broadcast journalist.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION Professional Documentation/Portfolio In this fast paced an ever-changing world we live in the need for you to advertise yourself and your work as a business is vital in progressing to any higher statues you may want to achieve. The need for professional documentation is vital for prospective businesses and employers you hope to work for. Presenting yourself in a professional manner is important because the person looking you up for a job, the first thing he/she will look at is your c. v. , on your c. v. s everything about you and your career interests, if this is not professional people will not take you seriously. Having a website that can also show your work to prospective clientele is also a key factor is securing yourself a regular income doing what you love, the internet can offer people information almost instantly, this is great because companies will be trolling the web looking for the relevant people. So if your website is professional and portrays professional work done by yourself, consider it a key step in the right direction for you career.
Also every time you do business with somebody make sure he/she is satisfied and satisfied enough to the point that they will write a good reference about you and what you do for future clients to see. These references are extremely important because they offer justification about what you can do to future business partners. Also keeping all the work you have ever done in a portfolio will only set you in good stead in the future with prospective employers and business partners. Another important thing to keep in mind when becoming a broadcast journalist is to be ever learning and experiencing new things.
If you are constantly gaining recognised skills and qualifications it will only benefit you and your career in a positive way, being ahead of your competition at all times will set you in good stead when working to becoming the best in what you do. Gaining skills will always put you one step ahead of the rest. So do as many courses as you can in as many different areas as you can. They key to life is education so constantly education yourself will only allow people to understand and take you more seriously, and hopefully the people you are trying to reach will listen.
Maintaining professional behaviour and conduct at all times will only benefit you and your career. No body likes a smart arsed know it all, rather give yourself and your employers and colleagues 100% satisfaction by not rocking up to work late, being punctual will only help to progress your career, obviously if there was one position left and you and one other person had applied, if you have respect and your attendance, punctuality, commitment are all on point and his aren’t then just by maintaining professional behaviour you will get the promotion over the slacker any day.
Being professional is vital; saying the wrong thing at the wrong time can cost you your job and your reputation in this industry. Its cut throat and the situations you may find yourself in are high pressure, so if you take care of the small things like being smart, arriving on time and having good manners, for example, the big things will take care of themselves. CONCLUSION
Broadcast journalists can expect a long and invigorating career, provided they constantly work at progressing and learning as much as possible, if you are prepared to put in the long hours for a small story then you can do nothing but progress into high positions of power. Becoming a sought after, well-respected individual will only help you to make a successful career for yourself as a journalist. To become a broadcast journalist, you should have: •excellent communication and ‘people’ skills •good listening and questioning skills •empathy and tact •good writing and research skills confidence and a clear speaking voice •persistence and motivation •calmness under pressure and the ability to meet tight deadlines •a creative approach with the ability to ‘think on your feet’ when necessary •an understanding of what makes a good news story •a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail the ability to work on your own initiative and also as part of a team. BIBLIOGRAPHY www. acareerchange. co. uk www. careers. guardian. co. uk www. bni. eu/regional-news www. startintv. com/jobs/broadcast www. nationalcareersservice. direct. gov. uk/advice