If you would like to become a writer and shape public opinion and knowledge through new media, here are some examples of current jobs and our alumni.

Recently advertised was an excellent example of this kind of work: 

Editor, LSE Impact Blog (£29,296 to £33,910 pa inclusive of London Allowance)

The London School of Economics is the top social science university in the UK and runs a number of blogs that shape public debate, including those of policy-makers. This particular job requires a Masters degree, knowledge of key business content (here: academic communication) and experience in commissioning, editing and processing blogs by academics to the highest standard.

The LSE and other organisations run similar blogs on social and political issues. These blogs function like newspapers but instead of providing daily news, they are bundling the expert knowledge of academics on certain topics, rather than relying on the reporting of journalists. The job of the Editor is to contact potential authors, maintain a regular supply of blogs (approx. 3 per week), edit blog contributions in collaboration with authors on content and in line with style guides, handle technical aspects i.e. the posting of blogs, monitor the impact and reach of blog posts, and use social media to further drive both impact and reach.

If you are interested in this type of work, why not start thinking about how you get there now?

How to do it if you can’t afford an unpaid internship (esp. in London)?

  • Start your own blog or contribute to the Northumbria Politics blog
  • Pay attention to improving your writing and research skills – Do your essays communicate well? Speak to your personal tutor if you want to improve
  • Learn how to edit: interview an editor, read a book about editing, practice on your own writing or that of your friends (it will help improve your writing, too!) 
  • Volunteer as a social media coordinator for one of the many NGOs out there
  • Do an internship with local newspapers or write for the student paper (in Newcastle: the BBC, Metro, the Chronicle etc.)
  • Teach yourself WordPress or other blogging software
  • Read widely around a particular area of interest, such as international development, women’s rights, security, democracy or crime to demonstrate knowledge and to help you source contributors
  • You might want to do a Masters in journalism (at Northumbria) or a Masters in the area you want to specialise in – journalism is still a field that relies on you doing the writing and compiling a portfolio of, rather than having a degree in it, so it doesn’t matter what you choose…

Important!! Don’t wait until your final semester. Start exploring early and develop a small portfolio of writing during your years at Northumbria…

Northumbria Politics students and alumni working in this field:

Current student – Social Media Coordinator, Women in Foreign Policy http://www.womeninforeignpolicy.org/ 

’08 alumni – former Managing Editor, Democratic Audit (now PhD student and Commissioning Editor) http://www.democraticaudit.com/ 

’13 graduate – now writing for several national newspapers 

(finally, not a Northumbria graduate but a former student of mine – founder, Editor and CEO of WonkHE, a very well regarded blog/email newsletter on the politics of higher education https://wonkhe.com/ )