The journalism profession is constantly changing these days. How do you harness the power of AI while maintaining journalistic integrity? How do you best showcase your work to potential editors or employers? How do you come up with ideas?
1. Otter.ai
This is every journalist’s dream application. If you aren’t already familiar, Otter.ai will transcribe any and all of your interviews, allowing you to draw information, find the best quotes, and highlight relevant parts of your transcript. The software has built-in AI that you can ask questions regarding the interview, if that’s your speed. Otter’s base plan is free, and allows you to record 30-minute conversations. You get 300 minutes of transcription for free per month.
2. Journoportfolio
Early in the journalism major, your professors will encourage you to create a digital portfolio that will showcase your work. For journalists, I’ve found the web platform Journoportfolio to be the easiest way to create a website. On the platform, you can input any of your clips, which will show up as clickable widgets on your page. There are plenty of easy ways to embed photography, video, and social media clips, as well. The basic plan is free, but for many, the affordable paid version will allow you to input as many clips as you need.
3. Social media
For a long time, journalists turned to Twitter to gain readership. Of course, the social media landscape is changing, but it may be worthwhile to have a professional page where you can reach out to sources and promote your work. Plus, you can often find story ideas from social media — whether checking Reddit pages to see what young people in various communities are talking about, Facebook groups to get to know a new community you’re covering, or the latest TikTok trend.
4. Turn to your community
Sometimes, the best way to come up with story ideas is to sit down with peers and talk through various topics. If you aren’t sure where to start, check out this digital card deck that my best friend created last semester through a directed study project). Talking with other journalists about what they’re covering or anything they’re noticing can be a great way to consider your own beat.
