Junior journalist
Do you dream of changing the world? Perhaps you could be a…
Do you care about the truth? Is there something you think people don’t know enough about? Then maybe you should try writing about real life and telling people what matters to you.
Journalists can play an important part in our society, telling people what’s happening in the world and helping them to understand events. Being young doesn’t mean you don’t know interesting things or have opinions that count.
Some people are naturally curious; they like to get to the bottom of things. Does that sound like you? Then you could be a journalist. By starting to write when you are young, your writing skills will develop, along with your ability to interview people. If you want to begin writing, you could start a newspaper with your friends. Each one of you could cover a different topic or area that you think is interesting. Or you could enter this year’s Learn2Think Young Journalist competition, with an article that is up to 500 words long (see the box on the right for more information).
To really make your mark, remember to choose a subject you feel strongly about, and then work on communicating that excitement to readers. You will probably write a stronger piece if you have some experience in, or passion about, your subject, whether it’s about something you can learn from the older generation; making real change in your own community; or even things that are happening at your school.
Remember, although a strong argument is important, so are facts – the who, what, when, where, why and how. Some of what you write may be opinion but facts can only ever be correct or incorrect.