Multimedia journalist

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I am a journalist in a regional newspaper, and I write news stories, personal stories, columns and many other kinds of articles. Most of the time, I work for the regional newspaper, but sometimes I also work for the city newspaper Porilaine, which is published once a week.

Sometimes, I also work as a web editor. This is when my job description includes managing live broadcasts in our magazine, testing heading alternatives and proofreading articles. As a web editor, I also write short news about accidents, fires and exceptional traffic arrangements.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

I was interested in a lot of different things throughout school. When I started thinking about what I would study after upper secondary school, it was a dead-end time after time. Although I was interested in several different fields, the profession of a doctor, nurse, teacher, psychologist, biologist or lawyer did not feel right for me.

In the final year of upper secondary school, I realised that in journalism it is a benefit to be interested in a little bit of everything. I thought that the field could suit me in other ways as well, as I had been writing a blog for several years, taken photographs and done my work placement at a magazine. I have also loved reading and stories for almost all my life. I was also interested in social issues and world events. At the last minute, I realised I could apply to study journalism. After that, I did not look back.

Describe your typical working day or week.

In our editorial team, the day always starts with a joint morning meeting. As a news reporter, my working day consists of conducting and preparing for interviews, gathering background information and writing. Despite the name, as a news reporter you write more text types than news such as columns and interviews.

As a web editor, the tasks are different. The day is spent reacting to different events. For example, I call the rescue department and track emails and pick up news items from press releases. I also make sure that new articles are regularly published on the website and that it contains the most important national and international news. Web editor shifts involve a wide range of small tasks, so prioritisation is important. News items are always handled first, and other tasks are completed in order of priority according to the time available.

My work week varies greatly, as I work on a zero-hours contract and substitute for various people. During the week, I usually write 2-6 stories that vary in scope. You can write five short basic news stories in a day, while it may take up to two weeks for a double-page spread in a print magazine.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

I mainly work in our editorial office in Pori. Remote work is possible, work permitting. As a web editor, my shifts are either between 7.00–15.00 or 14.30–22.30. As a rule, news shifts take place between 9.00 and 17.00, but the working hours may change slightly according to interviewees' schedules. In addition, we have an intermediate shift with working hours between 12.00 and 20.00 as a rule. In practice, the intermediary shift worker often does what others cannot do during their working hours such as going to an event in the evening to do a story.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

As a journalist, you need to be able to adapt to varying situations. The work involves tight schedules and rushing, so you must have good pressure tolerance. However, the most important thing is the ability to get excited, and encounter and listen to different kinds of people. Good Finnish skills and knowing your spelling rules well are useful, but these skills can also be learned.

What is the best thing about your profession?

The best part of my work is definitely meeting people. I also enjoy the versatility of my work. One day, I interview people dressed in fine clothes at a national gala, the next day, I follow the working day of foresters in the woods and then, the third day, I sit in the editorial office generating ideas and typing on my computer.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

The most challenging thing for me is to handle the rush. No matter how interesting the topic is, it is often not possible to immerse yourself into it as deeply as you would like. You must be able to write even when you are having a bad flow day. Stories must be designed so that they are understandable to different readers, which may require simplification and providing background information.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a journalist?

The supplier benefits from all kinds of knowledge and experience, and the work can be modified to some extent based on their own interest. There can never be too much general knowledge in this job. It is possible to become a journalist with all kinds of educational backgrounds, so studying journalism is not necessary.

The journalist will be among the first to discover new cafés, restaurants, exhibitions and public buildings. It is also possible to access places that are usually closed to the public. If, in addition to these, you are interested in more everyday events, I believe you will enjoy the industry.

How do you see the future of your profession?

Although the supply of different contents is now abundant, I believe that traditional media will continue to be needed. Journalists will provide background for different phenomena, distinguish rumours from facts and compile events in the surrounding world and society into compact, easily understandable wholes also in the future.