Qualities of a good journalist

The essentials

A journalist gathers, verifies and presents information to the public. Because people trust news to make decisions, a journalist needs both professional skills and strong personal values.

Key points

• Nose for news: the ability to sense which event or detail can become a story.
• Curiosity: asking questions, digging deeper and not accepting the first answer.
• Language skills: clear, correct and simple writing that readers understand easily.
• Accuracy and verification: checking facts with more than one reliable source before publishing.
• Trustworthiness and integrity: honesty, protecting sources, avoiding bias and refusing bribes or favours.
• Objectivity and fairness: presenting all sides of an issue.
• Empathy: understanding and respecting the feelings of people in the news, especially victims of crime or disaster.
• Alertness, presence of mind and hard work: news can break at any time.
• General knowledge: awareness of history, politics, economy and society helps explain events.

Exam tips

Questions usually describe a reporter's behaviour and ask which quality it shows. Link actions to qualities: cross-checking a claim shows accuracy; gently interviewing a grieving family shows empathy.

Common mistakes

Empathy does not mean taking sides. A journalist can be kind to victims while still reporting facts objectively.