Journalists Who Have Lost Their Jobs due to the Pandemic, this Article Specially Goes out to You!

We all know how difficult it is to cope with the loss of a job. What’s worse, however, is losing it through no fault of your own. This is the case with millions of people suffering at the hands of the global pandemic that has disrupted the world economy at large and has caused significant businesses globally to shut down their operations and fire hundreds, if not thousands, of employees.

If you’re a journalist by chance, things might not exactly have come to a standstill for you. Consider yourself lucky. Amidst the pandemic, there still remains tons of news that needs to be reported to the world. While journalism’s economic model has also suffered the brunt of the pandemic, and you might have lost your job as a result, fret not! You are among the lucky few who can still push their career, despite having lost the means to their bread and butter.

Deposit Photos | If you’re a laid-off journalist, there’s plenty you can do to boost your career

Look at this unforeseen change as an opportunity. Look at all the free time you have now at your disposal! Every cloud has a silver lining, right? You can use this time to follow up on things that you’ve been looking forward to pursuing but, weren’t able to due to time restrictions.

1. Apply for a Journalism Prize

Nothing compares to the joy you get from having your work recognized and appreciated by your peers. Since time is one of the biggest elements needed while applying for a prize, you’re in luck! The competition is undoubtedly fierce because of the number of people who apply. But, still worth taking a chance, if you ask us. Plus, it’s not like there’s only one prize you can apply for as many leading organizations tend to open up competitions.

For example, the International Committee of the Red Cross in Brazil awards the best models of humanitarian reporting. Similarly, if you’re stationed in East Africa, you can apply for the Uganda Press Photo Award. Or, you could cover the efforts of frontline workers amidst the pandemic to apply for the TRT World Citizen Award. The options are plenty- you just have to pick one worth applying for.

Deposit Photos | Who knows what prize you might win if you apply

2. Try Freelancing

While freelancing might not be everyone’s cup of tea, you can build a strong portfolio by working for acclaimed media organizations. We’re sure you don’t need us to highlight to what degree the pandemic has created the need to spread information.

Use this opportunity and the multiple freelance platforms at your disposal to get published internationally. Being afraid of the roads less traveled, or even undermining your capabilities will get you nowhere. Take a leap in the dark and you might achieve more than you ever thought possible. If you don’t know where to start, try learning how to pitch stories first to media houses.

Deposit Photos | It feels great to be your own boss- you should try it sometime

3. Learn a New Skill

The world has evolved and long gone are the days when news reporting was all about writing beautiful prose or catchy columns. The tech world has largely overtaken many industries, and the media business is no different.

So, if you’ve been planning on leveling up on those tech skills, now’s the perfect time to do so. Start your own project, be your own boss, decide which stories you think are important enough to tell the world. You don’t need to have your name attached to a populist media organization to be heard. An audio or video podcast is enough to do the job.