How to improve your writing

Here's a great article on how to improve your public speaking - the tips the author gives can be directly translated into how to improve your writing skills. Have a look at the article and jot down how you think you can use his ideas in your written work.

Job: Journalist

We require an experienced journalist to join our small team.. The position would include a wide variety of work ranging from reviewing wire copy and press releases, to interviews and news articles. The position would be based in our office and not require much traveling. Flexible work hours are possible for a suitable candidate.

Requirements

The ideal candidate would have a journalism qualification as well as experience as a reporter or editor.

Advantageous

Experience in online publishing would be an advantage but is not a requirement.

Personal Skills/Attributes

You could never write too many articles for our website so this position requires someone who likes nothing better than to spend their whole day writing.

Job: Online editor

Requirements

* A tertiary Journalism qualification
* At least two years experience working in an Online Publishing environment
* An full understanding of digital content
* Excellent language skills, and superior TECHNICAL writing abilities
* Online Editing proficiency
* Website content management experience
* Basic photo, video and audio editing skills

Job: Public Relations Officer

Public Relations Officer

PRO required for the full PR functions within the company including media management, writing of releases and the relationship building with stakeholders

Must have the following:
- Own car and be prepared to travel if need be.
- Must have a diploma or degree in public relations.
- Member of PRISA
- Experienced required.
- Must have media connections
- Must be computer literate.
- Must be able to work well with people and work well under extreme pressure and tight deadlines.
- Must be computer literate in the following: Word, Excel, Powerpoint

Job: Sub-Editor

Sub-Editor

Applicants must have an excellent command of the English language, an eye for detail and at least three years' working experience in magazines or newspapers. As well as excellent copy editing and proofing skills, you must have the ability to re-work submitted copy and write advertorials and competition copy when required. A cool head under pressure, efficiency and pinpoint accuracy are essential requirements of the successful candidate, as is the ability to work in a team and a willingness to be resourceful and innovative.

Requirements

A thorough working knowledge of Microsoft Word and InDesign is essential. A journalist's interest in current affairs (nationally and globally), an expansive general knowledge and a love of literature will be strong recommendations.

Job: Junior Journalist

Junior Journalist

We are looking for an excellent writer, who will also function as junior journalist and photojournalist.

Two attributes are essential: your English must be utterly superb and you need to understand that deadlines are sacred.
We are looking for a creative, ambitious, organised and reliable individual, who is passionate about what they do and will inject their own energy and style to improve and grow publication content and communities.

The position encompasses the following main responsibilities:
1. Generating and writing content, including (but not limited to) a broad variety of editorial and listing content;
2. Management of a large national network of existing editorial and photographic contributors, and sourcing and management of new contributors;
3. Promotion of content through various in-house publications, partner channels, social media and all other relevant digital media;
4. Conceptualising and overseeing of content strategies for brands or campaigns;

The candidate should come from an editorial / journalism background and should have the necessary computer literacy.
Experience in content management would be advantageous.

Can social media bring down governments?

Governments around the world are undeniably under considerable pressure from social media, as seen in Tunisia, China and, right now, Egypt. Read this article and discuss whether your agree with the author on his views on this topic.

Job: Reporter

Reporter

Skills:
- Collect and analyse information about newsworthy events
- Evaluate news leads and news tips to develop story idea.
- Gathers and verifies factual information regarding story through interview, observation, and research.
- Organise material, determines slant or emphasis, and write story according to prescribed editorial style and format standards.
- Take photographs or shoot video to illustrate stories.
- Update website and social media sites.

Qualities
- Excellent written skills
- Good time management skills
- Ability to stick to deadlines
- Basic knowledge of html
- Knowledge of social media sites

Job: Sub-Editor

Sub-Editor

The successful candidates will work as part of a team of six full-time reporters & wider network of 20+ on-the-ground correspondents to feed the national and international media with social-justice news from rural Mpumalanga & Limpopo, + neighbouring states.

Because AENS is a rural-based developmental news agency, with eight 'beat' reporters on staff, its sub-editors and other newsdesk managers are required to be good mentors. They work closely with young journalists, inspiring them to the highest ethical and professional standards, while also patiently teaching writing, research, and interview techniques.

Sub-editors should also be prepared to cover for AENS' news editor or editor on occasion, managing the newsfeed, compiling diaries, briefing & debriefing reporters, and liaising with client publications.

Requirements

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:
* editing copy to correct legal, grammatical, factual and contextual errors;
* cutting/expanding, re-writing, re-angling/altering copy to fit requirements;
* writing headlines and captions accurately and creatively;
* writing stand-firsts (brief introductions which sum up the story);
* debriefing & liaising with reporters to clarify facts / context in stories;
* providing on-the-job training & mentoring for young journalists or interns;
* packaging stories with appropriate photos or graphics;
* meeting absolutely immovable deadlines;
* addressing concerns from client editors;

Advantageous

KNOWLEDGE / APTITUDE:
* Ability to sub-edit efficiently
* Expertise in spelling, grammar and punctuation
* Ability or make sure that writing flows, is logical and makes sense
* Awareness of legal environment
* Excellent general knowledge (including knowledge of Mpumalanga / Limpopo's socio-economic landscape)
* News sense

Personal Skills/Attributes

SKILLS / COMPETENCIES:
* Good communication skills
* Ability to work under pressure
* Ability to meet deadlines

The successful candidate will be an individual that is patient, hard-working individual with the ability to process, on average, 15 stories a day and willing to face intimidating deadlines with good humour.

Job Media and Communications Officer

Media and Communications Officer

Job description

Responsibilities:
1. Drafting and distributing scheduled and ad hoc media releases, based on desktop research and interviews with role-players
2. Drafting and distributing regular electronic and published newsletters and publications
3. Managing a departmental budget for publications and promotional items
4. Being involved in collective planning and design of promotional items for various events
5. Managing promotional items allocation, distribution and stock-keeping
6. Co-ordinating media conferences before and after various events
7. Co-ordinating the work of the Media and Communications Committee
8. Promoting the brand
9. Designing and maintaining the website, in collaboration with colleagues and service providers
10. Designing and maintaining the corporate identity of the company, in collaboration with colleagues and service providers

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
1. A minimum of Grade 12 (Matric) with an above C average for English
2. Proven proficiency in spoken and written English
3. An above-average listening, reading and typing speed
4. Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher) and basic website maintenance
5. Experience in managing a budget
6. Experience with typing media releases and document layout

Added Recommendations:
1. Experience in graphic design
2. Experience in website design
3. A qualification in media and / or communication and / or public relations

Self-publishing

In every journalist, there's a budding novelist just itching to get out and write the New York Times' next bestseller. And thanks to the digital world, it might be easier than you think... Read this article on self-publishing and then get working on that novel!

Weakness of social media

Twitter was abuzz over the weekend with news that Nelson Mandela had died. News that turned out to be false. So how can you use Twitter and other social media sites as sources? In the same way that you use traditional sources - by using more than one source. If some twit on Twitter starts a rumour, find another source to confirm the rumour. Once the Nelson Mandela Foundation was contacted, the news was denied.

The future of journalism...

In a Memeburn interview with Janet Heard, a 2009/10 Nieman fellow of journalismwho attended Harvard University for an academic year, Heard said that there is "a considerable amount of panic about the future of journalism, and lots of experimentation taking place with regard to new media models", but that through the year, there was a shift in tone from despair to optimism. We realised that the focus should be on the craft of journalism – irrespective of the medium. The real issue is finding ways to deliver on our goal to be accurate, truthful and trustworthy. A flourishing press is an essential tool in any democracy. We began to concentrate on ways to retain quality journalism. We also discussed at length ethical issues in the digital era – from plagiarism and attribution to accountability and fact-checking." Read the rest of her interview here, and then summarise and give your own opinion on her comments.

2011

After a brilliant four-week holiday, it's back to the grindstone! Busy finalising the course modules - with journalism and PR literally changing daily, it's great to be running a web-based course so that it's quick and easy to update modules as times change. We're on track to start the course next week at Express Media at Media House in Durban, and in Maritzburg on February 1 - busy, busy, busy! We're also holding Facebook seminars for business people in the Midlands in February, and will be designing a Google ads seminar for March.
Happy 2011!