Peter McGuire – a freelance journalist who has worked extensively with the Irish Times and TheJournal.ie’s Noteworthy – today discussed the realities of journalism, both good and bad, in a talk to transition years organised by The University Times.
McGuire, speaking as part of an access programme that sees over 20 transition year students visit Trinity for a week of learning about journalism, criticised journalism’s lack of diversity and described the difficulties of making it in a profession that has shrunk in recent years.
But, in front of a room containing many would-be journalists, he also described the intricacies of pitching to editors and encouraged transition year students to “start now”.
McGuire spoke about journalism as a career that requires good knowledge of the world – but advised them not to pursue a journalism course in college.
Getting involved in a student newspaper, McGuire said, is a far more valuable exercise for those hoping for a career in the media.
“You’re kind of studying two things at once”, McGuire said of journalism degrees, adding that newsrooms are less likely to hire graduates of journalism courses due to a lack of real-world experience. He also argued that balancing working in a student newspaper while studying a different course allows you to gain expertise in multiple fields.
In a pitch that was perhaps unsurprising, given McGuire’s background in freelance journalism, he advised students to think about the audience when pitching – and talked up the importance of the subject line when attempting to get a piece published.
He also talked up the importance of reading newspapers for those attempting to sharpen their skills.
Although the first step to to publishing an article is pitching to an editor, McGuire also gave advice on other aspects of journalism. He explained that the harsh reality is that most pieces won’t be picked up, and sometimes “not even get a reply”.
A social media presence is a key element for aspiring journalists, he said, as technological advances and online news outlets become more popular. McGuire also said that “making connections” is a vital way to expand your network and get articles published when you’re starting in the industry.
McGuire emphasised the dearth of transgender people and people from working class backgrounds in journalism, and heavily criticised the lack of women.
This piece was written by secondary students taking part in The University Times’s journalism access programme.
