How to become a Crime Journalist

This year, Pendleton Sixth Form College launched an exciting new Crime Journalism course. If you're looking for a career that is challenging, competitive and rewarding, Crime Journalism might be a great profession for you.

What is Crime Journalism?  

Crime Journalists research and write articles about criminal events for newspapers, magazines, television or other media, often conducting interviews and attending court hearings. Crime reporting teaches some of the essential techniques of journalism. ... Readers or listeners often want an explanation of why crimes happen.

Why Report Crime?

Crime reporting has long been a central part of news coverage in free press societies because crime stories are usually newsworthy.

You have a role to play, in providing information to counteract rumour. People will hear about crimes through casual conversations, or they may hear a siren, as a police car dashes along the road; they will be only half-informed. It is your job as a journalist to tell them the truth about the rumoured crime or explain why the police car went past. If you can establish a reputation for reliability in this field, people will buy your paper or tune into your radio station, as a way of making sure they know what is happening.

What career options are available?

The skills you will learn from this course will enable you to pursue a number of career routes in print journalism, broadcast journalism, public relations as a press officer, marketing, or publishing.

On completion of your qualification, you could also progress on to a relevant university degree, expanding your skills and knowledge further.

What kind of skills or experience do you need?

• Communication: Investigative journalists must be able to communicate important information concisely. This profession also involves interviewing sources, so verbal communication is equally important.
• Organisational: While writing a story, investigative journalists use large amounts of research, therefore this information must be organised to enable journalists to craft a story that allows readers to understand the significance of their findings.

• Research: Investigative journalists spend the majority of their time researching topics. They must be aware of the best researching methods as well as the proper fact-checking protocols and policies.

• Interviewing: As with most careers in journalism, one of the main ways that investigative reporters gather stories and information is by interviewing experts and witnesses. Journalists must possess well-developed active listening and note-taking skills.

To find out more and submit your application, click here.

If you’d like to speak to a member of our team about our Crime Journalism course, e-mail admissions@salfordcc.ac.uk or call 0161 631 5050.