When exploring the different types of careers in journalism, you may also find yourself curious about the difference between journalism vs. communications. Journalism involves researching, fact-checking and reporting news and other current information. In contrast, communications is an umbrella field that encompasses marketing and advertising, public relations, media production and even interpersonal communication.1
If journalism specifically catches your interest, you may decide to further explore the following types of journalism careers:
Investigative journalists conduct systematic, in-depth and original research. Their thorough investigations often aim to uncover evidence or demystify secrets and unanswered questions. Investigative journalists then write comprehensive articles that present their discoveries in the form of a story.
They frequently focus on topics of public significance, such as political corruption, crime rings or corporate wrongdoing. For a fuller sense of their work, consider some of the milestone exposés produced by noteworthy investigative journalists:
- Barton Gellman and Glen Greenwald: In June 2013, Gellman at "The Post" and Greenwald at "The Guardian" published articles about the National Security Agency (NSA) and their surveillance of U.S. citizens and foreign officials, gaining intel from a former NSA analyst. Aided by Laura Poitras and Ewan MacAskill, both articles shared the Pulitzer Prize that year.2
- The staff of "The Wall Street Journal": 2023’s Pulitzer Prize for investigative journalism was awarded to the staff at "The Wall Street Journal" for their reporting on federal officials at 50 federal agencies and their ethical misconduct and financial conflicts of interest.3
- Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein: In 1972, these two investigative journalists exposed the Watergate scandal — a series of crimes that led to President Nixon’s resignation.4
A career in investigative journalism may suit you if you believe that the truth matters and that the public deserves to be informed about carefully guarded information.
Like investigative journalism, watchdog journalism seeks to expose and draw attention to acts of wrongdoing. However, watchdog journalists focus on corporations, politicians and similar societal agents in whose hands the power to benefit or harm society is concentrated.
This type of journalism aims to ensure that organizations and figures of authority are held accountable for their wrongful actions. For example, a watchdog journalist may monitor the actions of a major corporation to determine whether it is violating fair trade practices.
Trade journalism may appeal to people with a passion for the business world who would rather observe the practices in this arena than influence them. Trade journalists investigate and report on trends in the business world. They may focus on a specific industry, such as oil and gas or broader fields, such as technology or finance.
Trade journalists covering a given topic are expected to develop in-depth expertise on that topic. For these professionals, building a strong rapport and an effective working relationship with the major figures in the field is essential for the purposes of securing interviews and soliciting tips.
If you are interested in a journalism job and in a career as a data analyst, then data journalism may be the ideal type of journalism for you. Data journalism is an emerging field that combines traditional journalistic techniques — such as interviewing sources — with data science. Data journalists comb through databases and use statistical analysis to develop a deeper understanding of emerging stories and trends.
There are types of journalists and journalism that allow you to travel the world and write about it. Consider a position in travel journalism, which encompasses both short-term and long-term trips, domestically and abroad. Travel journalists might write about everything from the local culture and food to popular tourist attractions to outdoor recreation in the destination.
Do you love to cook and eat, but are not sure that being a chef is the right choice for you? A job as a food journalist can allow you to combine dual passions of culinary arts and the written word.
Food journalism can encompass how-to articles, such as how to determine when an avocado is ripe or how to prepare perfect slices of fried tofu. However, it can also go beyond this to explore cultural heritage, current issues and societal trends using food as a lens. A food journalist might write a story on anything from the daily life of a food safety inspector to the rising price of imported olive oil.
