5 development jobs to tackle with a journalism background

Devex, along with Foreign Affairs and the U.N. Foundation, toasted international affairs journalism last week as part of the festivities surrounding the annual White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington, D.C. As we thanked those who often put themselves in harm’s way to cover the stories crucial to raising awareness of global causes, reporters around the world joined the conversation using #GlobalBeat. In the hyper-competitive world of news and reporting, those interested in marrying their passion for international affairs and journalism may find steady work harder to come by. However, there is a vibrant role for those with a journalism background to play in international development, and it doesn't always mean reporting on the ground for a major news outlet. Here are 5 kinds of positions you can excel in with a journalism degree in global development. 1. Editor or Writer Many large international development organizations produce a regular stream of written materials like annual reports for their funders, white papers or reports on the work they are doing or causes they care about. All of this reporting requires someone to write and edit it, so many institutions employ a full time writer or editor. These positions require strong writing, and analytical skills as well as the ability to explain complex issues simply that those outside the industry can understand: all skills a seasoned journalist will have honed. 2. Grant or Proposal Writer Another area where top notch writing skills is critical is in grant or proposal writing. Writing a strong proposal often requires some investigative work including interviewing people on the ground or digging up background info on the donor and their priorities. A journalism background can be very relevant and is often included as one of the preferred degrees for these kinds of jobs. 3. Communications or Public Relations Most international development institutions these days have a communications department that focuses on telling the story of the organization, sharing their successes and communicating the importance of their work to the public, donors and stakeholders. Work may entail writing an op-ed, pitching stories to the media, producing videos or serving as a spokesperson for the organization. Some individual projects now have their own communications specialist on staff, so you could be based in a home office or overseas. In the private sector there is often a revolving door between media and the organizations they cover and this also holds true in global development where many former journalists work. 4. Information and knowledge management Global development institutions are a treasure trove of information. Often working on hundreds of projects across dozens of countries, they sometimes need someone to cover what they are doing and help disseminate this across the organization. Think of it like an internal reporter who is conducting interviews with sources across departments and writing up compelling reports to help colleagues learn from each other. 5. Media Specialist You can share your journalism expertise by helping to strengthen media in other countries. There are many projects – and organizations – dedicated to building up a vibrant, transparent media to improve flow of information, support civil society and to protect individual rights as part of democracy and governance efforts. Interested in finding one of these kinds of positions? See all of the jobs related to journalism posted on Devex right now. Devex also hires full time and freelance reporters to cover international development news around the world. Check out what it is like to work at Devex.