Online editor offers advice for young journalists

From time to time, I ask successful journalists and editors what advice they have for young journalists. Robert Niles, editor of the Online Journalism Review, says young journalists should go digital with their resumes and reporting. He adds that new media offers great freelance opportunities:

"Blogs are the new resumes. Every journalism student ought to have his or her own blog, ideally located at studentname.com. Blogs should include links to the student's best published work, as well as regular Q&As, observations, photo essays, video features, reviews and commentary -- to fully demonstrate their abilities.

"Online sites, especially ones built on user-generated content, have an insatiable appetite for good copy. Students should engage in online discussion communities, and link to them from their blog, to show hiring editors their ability to participate and manage interactive communities. Volunteering to create original reporting features and reviews for such sites is a great way both to gain leadership status in those communities and to get impressive clips for the student."

Robert Niles
Editor, University of Southern California
Online Journalism Review
http://www.ojr.org

-Mark Grabowski