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What are some jobs that involve linguistics and journalism?

Well for one right now I am only a sophomore in high school and I'm kinda looking into colleges where I can study these topics. I just don't know if there is a lot that offers that in the work force #journalism #linguistics .

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Brian P. D.’s Answer

Becoming a reporter or editor in any country where you have to learn a new language to conduct interviews or do research for articles.
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Keith’s Answer

Hi,

You can definately combine the two things. Having more than one language and the skills to pick up others quickly is incredibly valuable if you want to work for a global news organisation like the BBC, Reuters, AP etc. As another post mentions you still have to be great at writing, have a passion for news and be able to demonstrate that but having languages will make you more attractive to international news organisations
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Kathleen’s Answer

Great question - 

If you are interested in being a journalist, prepare and study and learn everything you need to succeed in a journalism career. Typically this includes a lot of basics, like: spelling, research, fact-finding, adhering to AP style, having excellent editorial news judgment, plus things that students often overlook — an understanding of geography, history, and being a strong writer. 

Speaking another language then complements all of that —- it doesn’t replace it. 

The question I would ask you is this: is Linguistics your key focus?? Or journalism??

If the answer is linguistics, then your focus should be on jobs where employers seek multilingual employees. For journalism, being bilingual or multilingual can be helpful, but it’s not typically first on the list when seeking newsroom candidates. 

Also, another important consideration: Just because you speak Spanish, or Italian or Russian, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will find a job in that country as a journalist. (Work permits are typically required by any country.) The strength of your journalism skills will always be first and foremost the top thing considered. Journalism is also highly competitive. In Spain, for example, they will seek journalists who are native speakers.

I often tell students, that they should also consider jobs in communications, public relations, etc. if your desire is to work internationally — there are plenty of career tracks with global companies that offer those opportunities. But, again, the communications skills you offer need to be strong. The language is secondary — a plus.

If linguistics is your true love, I recommend doing research on jobs where linguists are really needed. The US military and the US government (diplomatic corps) often have specific needs for very specific languages, like Chinese, Russian, Arabic, etc.  Speaking any highly-sought language can be a definite plus.

The main thing you need to do is decide what you really want to do. Both options require research and preparation. You don’t just “luck” into jobs like these. Preparation early pays off later as you start and then build your career.

Hope this is helpful!

Kathleen recommends the following next steps:

Which is first on your list — being a linguist or being a journalist? It’s important to know where your passion is, because one doesn’t necessarily lead to a career in the other.
Whatever you decide on Question 1, make sure you are gaining the basic skills required for careers in those industries. No one wants a journalist who cannot spell, has bad grammar and cannot find countries on a map.
If your answer to Question 1 is Linguistics, do you research on the language skills that are highly sought. Knowing these languages will position you well for employment opportunities.
My final recommendation is this: Strive to be a lifelong learner. The technological changes just in my lifetime have been great assets in my career, but I - and others - needed to be open to the change. Being agile and willing to learn new things throughout your life will serve you well your whole life.
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John’s Answer

Hey Ty'Bria, this is a great question! In my experience both working in journalism and having gone to grad school for linguistics, I'd say the best way to merge those two fields is science journalism. Linguistics study, especially grad-level study (but undergrad level as well) prepares you for learning experimental design, analytical thinking data analysis, statistics, and lot of other fields needed to understand science of all fields. You can then pair that expertise with journalism, which gives you the skills to break down the science in simpler terms and perhaps even infographics, so you can spread the science news to a wider audience. Science journalists usually work for magazines like Popular Science or Discover, but there are newspaper positions too, and of course lots of digital media/web science journalism outlets. Hope this helps!
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