Four Job Roles In The Media Industry

1) Journalist

A journalist will seek out news and bring it to the public as quickly as possible. They aim present stories in a clear, engaging style which are very interesting to read upon. A journalist might attend press launches, courts and council meetings to get the latest information of the latest events, they will even interview people in person or either on the phone, they respond to calls and new releases as well as record notes in shorthand or on tape to write up stories on the computer. 

Journalists have a lot of pressure placed upon them as they have to work through to deadlines and getting stories out on time and they must also keep their stories balanced as well as fair and lawful.
Qualifications needed to become a journalist:There are known to be at least 80,000 journalists in the UK. The main employers are local and national newspaper groups, broadcast news organisations, news agencies which supply other outlets, magazines and online news outlets which can either be independent or linked to a traditional print or broadcast operation.To become a journalist you need to have the enthusiasm as well as work experience. its a great idea to show commitment by looking for a short work placement in a newsroom and to have  portfolio of published work. The main qualification which is needed to become a journalist is an NCTJ certificate but this is mainly and very necessary for if you want to get into the caret of writing for newspapers, also these qualifications are important to have too,  Diploma in journalism, Diploma in Journalism for press photographers and photojournalists  and National qualification in Journalism.

Example of a journalist job, magazine journalist: The magazine industry body is the PPA (Periodical Publishers’ Association) and their training arm is the PTC (Periodical Training Council) that accredits post-graduate and post A-level courses of varying lengths nationwide, the NCTJ also accredits magazine courses. These should give you the basic skills you'll need: Media law, PA (national government), news and feature writing, subbing, design and layout (a working knowledge of publishing software like In-Design) and shorthand writing. 

A degree in a specific subject like History for an example will always give you a useful specialism that you can exploit by working for a magazine about that subject. Follow that with a fast-track journalism course culminating in a professionally recognised certificate (courses are usually PTC and/or NCTJ accredited) then, once employed, it’s also possible to gain a further PTC qualification on the job.

These are example of Journalists who work for channel 4 news:

2) Film/ TV Director

Typical work activities involve leading small team or large cast and crew, directing short, long, feature films as well as live recording programmes.

The work could include: 
Meeting producers, commissioning a script or an idea for a documentary or film, deciding on how the production should look as well as how it should be filmed, interpreting scripts and developing storyboards, planning shooting schedule and logistics, hiring the cast and crew to play the roles in your feature, guiding the actors as well as the technical crew on how you want something to be perceived, directing the actors, supervising and editing the final outcome of the feature. 

Entry requirements:
You must have suitable substantial experience in Tv or film, in depth understanding of the production process. You must be committed and have the ability to find your own work experience placements. A good understanding about the media industry in general is great as having a portfolio of own directed short movies can get you into the industry. getting involved in community projects that base around filmmaking can also give you the right experience to get in. A BTEC HND as well as a Masters/ BA Honours degree in such fields as filmmaking, film production, screenwriting and directing can get you into the industry as well as even being a part of private film schools as they offer intense directing and filmmaking experience. 
Skills interests as well as qualities needed: You must be creative as well as imaginative, you must be a good communicator as well have good people skills, ability to lead and motivate others, great organisation skills and planning skills as well as time keeping skills, decision making ability, budget awareness, and the to have a calm approach at busy times and work well under pressure as well as general awareness of health and safety. 

Film Directors: 

This is  Steven Spielberg and he is well known for the movie Jaws which he had directed. 

This is Kathryn Bigelow and she has directed films such as Point Break and Strange Days.

This is Silvio Harto who is the director of the hit TV series Ugly Betty.

3) ACTOR

Being an actor includes: Interpreting others words/stories in order to bring a script to life, and to put a  realistic approach to characters. Entry requirements: You will certainly need to train to become a professional actor. You can start training at weekend and part-time classes from a young age. Some full-time acting academies follow the national curriculum from Year 6, as well as training you in drama, dance and singing e.g., the Sylvia Young Theatre School. Some state schools offer customised courses in the media, performing or visual arts, or combine the arts with another specialism. At further and higher education level, you can take drama or theatre studies courses and even join a dramatics society.You could also go to a specialist drama school. These usually only accept students over 18 years of age and conduct auditions for places. These schools are all fee-paying but offer tailored vocational courses which are recognised by the industry. They have strong links with Agents casting directors, production companies and broadcasters to give you the real feel of what it's exactly like it to work in the acting field. You could also take a qualification or short course offered by one of a range of professional associations and awarding bodies in the fields of sales and marketing. Some of these are aimed specifically at those just starting out in the profession. 
Skills Needed: 

1. To be captivating: A great actor is so convincing in a role that he can hold an audience captive and make them feel as if there is nothing but the story at hand.
2. Have true commitment: A great actor is committed to becoming the best actor he can be, as well as to working hard and preserving through rejection to find the best roles.
3. Shows confidence: A great actor is confident in his work and portrays that confidence both during a performance as well as in public to help create a rapport with the public.
4. Has a good insight: A great actor has keen insight into human behavior and can effectively convey the emotion that influences one's actions.
5. Must be able to use intelligence for role creation: A great actor uses intelligence to research roles and impart that knowledge into their acting to develop more convincing attributes of the character. Great actors generally also have excellent reading and interpretation skills.
6. Possesses good physical skills: A great actor has skill in physical movement and is able to portray the movements of a variety of characters. Many actors also perform stunt work and complicated physical work.
7. Shows  high degree of professionalism: A great actor works with a wide variety of people and is highly professional in all situations. A great actor shows tremendous respect to the craft, script, writers, directors, and all other key personnel involved in a production.
8. Has an innate talent: A great actor has a natural talent for performing and entertaining.
9. Is willing to work on performance techniques: A great actor has a perfected technique for his acting and is able to successfully bring believable characters to life.
10. Has  sense of vanity: A great actor has at least some degree of vanity that drives them to continue to improve and excel at the craft.

This is Hollywood star Tom Hanks

Johnny Depp 

4)  Advertising Photographer

Advertising photographers take advertising photographs that are used to help describe and sell a product or idea. Advertising Photographers also produce images that support a marketing idea in answer to a photographic brief given to them by a client, a designer or an advertising agency. 

Is this role right for you?

To do this role, you will need to enjoy travel, meeting people and solving visual challenges, be able to interpret ideas and stories through original and emotive photographic images, understand the principles of composition, and have an appreciation of shape, form, colour and tone, be organised, practical and creative, have a calm, friendly attitude, coping well with busy and stressful situations, be highly motivated and self-confident in order to promote yourself, have good communication skills and be skilled in image-manipulation and image-management software such as Photoshop and indesign.

Qualifications:There is not a typical set of qualifications required to work as an Advertising Photographer but progress in your career is all about having a strong portfolio, track record and reputation.There are many college courses around the UK which could provide you with a sound technical grounding, as well as access to work placement schemes. Its also great to consider taking a photography/ imaging course in higher education as well as a diploma, as the following courses have been rigorously assessed by the photo imaging industries. Having the LBIPP which is offered by the (British Institute of Professional Photography) as it has a great reputation with employers and gets you more likeable to get the job. Some employers may support work based qualifications such as apprenticeships and NVQ/SVQs. Having membership of the British institute of professional photography and the association of photographers and the master photographers  association can also be very beneficial for you. The BIPP and the MPA offer a full range of qualifications that enable a person to gain their skills against other successful practitioners working in the industry.