Most media companies these days are feeling the pinch. As a result, cost-cutting measures are happening across the board. In the wider media landscape, Google, Paramount and Disney shed jobs this year.

Globally, Press Gazette data estimates that in excess of 1,700 journalism jobs have been cut across the UK, U.S., Ireland and Canada so far this year. And according to a report from the employment firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, broadcast, print and digital outlets slashed 2,681 journalism jobs in 2023––almost double (48%) that of 2022’s job cuts.

Three new jobs this week

• AI Content Writer, DataAnnotation, Remote
• Parliamentary Reporter, PA Media, Paddington
• Journalist – Weekend Newsreader, BBC, Reading

Declining advertising revenues, the dominance of the big social platforms such as Facebook, and the challenge to build paid subscriptions are just some of the issues media outlets are facing. The rise of generative AI is having a major impact on the newsroom.

As far back as 2020, MSN sacked dozens of journalists in favour of using AI software to create content.

Develop additional skills

Consider how journalism itself is taught at universities. No longer solely focused on reporting the news or developing stories, in response to the digital age, students are now educated to develop a variety of skills including video creation and podcasts.

You can teach an old dog new tricks, and journalists, already so adept at finding great hooks and stories, are perfectly placed to add these to their skillsets. Writing scripts and treatments for long and short-form video is another skill that is absolutely within the writers’ wheelhouse.

Developing some SEO knowledge is another sharp move. Both learning how to write SEO-focused content, based on what people are searching for, and developing the abilities to optimise your existing and future content via formatting, headlines, good linking practices, and through metadata, can be a real boon.

While most journalists will have at least a rudimentary ability to optimise for SEO, this is an area that is ever-changing. Staying on top of trends and developments and being able to show your content converts can make you highly employable.

And don’t underestimate the value of soft skills. Often dismissed as fluffy and merely nice-to-haves, the World Economic Forum (WEF) says that analytical and creative thinking, leadership and social influence, along with curiosity and lifelong learning, are some of the skills it says will be in growing demand.

These people-focused skills are also vitally important in management and leadership roles. A move to management can be a poisoned chalice for many writers who find they then have no time to do the actual thing they are best at.

But, if it works for you, this is an excellent way to not only strengthen your career, but to also influence and shape the future of the business itself.

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