The Results-Oriented Journalism Workplace

Journalism jobs, whether writing, editing or proofreading, are involved in a lot of detail. When journalism people are so engrossed in the details of their jobs, it's easy for them, for anyone actually, to lose sight of the job's major contribution.

A Results-Oriented Journalism Job Description is different from a traditional job description because it focuses an employee on the several job results that answer the question: What results must this journalism affairs job accomplish for the organization?

Journalism Job Standards added to job expectations tighten management controls by clarifying how well and when results must be accomplished.

Journalism Job Objectives establish management and employee plans by highlighting important current and future results needed.

Job-specific Journalism Employee Management Forms maintain consistent and legally sound management actions by basing manager-employee interactions on job results.

The Purpose of Journalism Jobs

Stated in a results-oriented, three-line style, journalism affairs jobs--

CONVEY INFORMATION by

determining the type and style of information to be presented; researching and evaluating contacts and information; writing and editing copy; proofreading prepared copy; achieving records.

Types of Journalism Jobs

Journalism jobs prepare information for readers. The principal job writes the information but other jobs research and verify information, or make sure the information is written correctly, such as correct spelling. Still other jobs research readership and plan content. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the journalism people and processes.

Journalism Job Management Tools

Here are actual job examples of how journalism affairs job actions can be focused on results and kept on track using each of our job management tools:

Results-Oriented Journalism Job Descriptions form the foundation of all job management tools. Our uniquely structured job descriptions focus on the result to be accomplished first and prominently, followed by the duties performed in order to accomplish the result. For example,

RECOMMENDS JOURNALISM ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Journalism Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the journalism affairs results must be accomplished and what benchmarks will be used to measure job results. For example, for the job result above, the job standards might be:

• Journalism situations are correctly understood.
• All options are identified and evaluated.
• Journalism recommendations are ready when needed.

Journalism Job Objectives point the direction for employee actions by focusing job efforts on current and future journalism affairs issues. Job objectives are written in the three-line, results-oriented structure. For example, for the job result above, a job objective might be:

SPEED-UP DECISION MAKING by

reducing time to deliver journalism affairs recommendations by 10% by (date).

Journalism Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each journalism affairs job description are more helpful (and legal) than generic forms used for all different kinds of jobs. Job-specific forms are used to state job qualifications, guide job interview questions, orient new employees, plan job training, and appraise job performance.

Journalism Job Qualifications are stated in the same terms used in the job description. They are not translated into generic (typically behavioral) terms. For example:

RECOMMENDS JOURNALISM ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Journalism Job Interview guide questions are inserted directly below each job result in the job description: For example:

• "What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?"
• "Where did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "When did you have these job responsibilities?"
• "How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?"
• "What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?"
• "In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?"
• "How did you overcome the challenges?"

The Journalism Job Orientation guide reformats the job description sequence so that job explanations, policies, protocols, processes, and procedures are logical and complete and can easily be checked off. For example:

RECOMMENDS JOURNALISM ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Here's the procedure and format we use to analyze and present journalism affairs recommendations."

The Journalism Job Training plan guides a thorough examination of actual job knowledge, skills, and abilities as described in the job description that need improvement or that might be enhanced. For example:

RECOMMENDS JOURNALISM ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

The manager might say: "Analytical skills would be improved by enrolling in a statistical analysis class."

The Journalism Job Performance Appraisal guide is a job-specific form. It is not a universal form used for all jobs. The guide adds an appraisal scale below each job result in the job description so that attention can be drawn to each job requirement and expectation. For example:

RECOMMENDS JOURNALISM ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

__ Great! Just want we wanted.
__ We have a problem.
__ Improvement is needed.
__ Much, much more than we asked for.

Comments: _________________

Journalism Résumé Template

Potential employers want to know what a job applicant has accomplished in his/her journalism affairs work career. They don't want to be bored with minor details. Our Résumé Template provides:

• an outline to help assemble personal background information.
• a Results-Oriented Job Description to provide the journalism affairs job language-focused on results-needed to write an effective résumé.
• Journalism Job Objectives to orient thinking in terms of accomplishments.
• instructions on how to use a Results-Oriented Journalism Job Description and Journalism Job Objectives to express job accomplishments.

Use the journalism affairs job description responsibility statement as a base:

RECOMMENDS JOURNALISM ACTIONS by

analyzing system controls.

Select the journalism affairs job objective that fits your experience:

REDUCE COSTS 10% by

improving journalism affairs processes.

Combine the two into a résumé statement:

Reduced costs 10% by analyzing, identifying, and recommending new journalism affairs system controls.

Journalism Career Links

International Reporting Project

Designed to educate U.S. journalists about global issues and to increase and improve the coverage of international topics in the U.S. news media. It does so through a variety of fellowships, conferences, seminars, fact-finding visits and publications to meet the needs of all levels of journalists: early-career, mid-career and senior journalists.

American Society of Newspaper Editors

Membership organization for daily newspaper editors, people who serve the editorial needs of daily newspapers and certain distinguished individuals who have worked on behalf of editors through the years.

The Princeton Review, Career Profile: Journalism

A day in the life article on journalism.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Writers and Editors

Learn about the training and education needed for writing and editing jobs, earnings, expected job prospects, what writers and editors do on the job, and working conditions.

ED (2010), Jobs

A community of young magazine editors and magazine-editor wannabes who want to learn more about the industry so they can fulfill their dreams of landing top editing and writing positions in the the magazine industry.

University of North Carolina - Wilmington, The Career Center, Major - English

What is English? Related major skills, career planning links, related career titles, resources, job and internship search links, professional association links, other resources.

American Society of Magazine Editors'

Professional organization for editors of consumer magazines and business publications.