Español

Studies & Degrees in Visual Journalism

Choose where you would like to study Visual Journalism:

ArgentinaMexicoNetherlandsSpainThe United States

Journalism is considered in its most vibrant when it is accomplished with the use of pictures and written word. A tough image could attract attention and send a message. Furthermore, images possess an authority to go beyond words and converse across borders. With a stress in Visual Journalism, you will be equipped to document your surroundings in a distinctive approach.

Visual Journalism is the outcome of media convergence. It is known as the fusion of audio and video creation, print, photojournalism, writing and online presentations. You should be mindful not just of the creation of values for accessible media, but as well of the means that must be used for this medium. Existing print-based programs offered by schools give essential knowledge in critical analysis, graphic design aesthetics and computer operation. The course will reinforce your computer skills and widen the meaning of graphic design to incorporate presentation as well as the production in World Wide Web.

The course will educate you how to collect information with pictures and words for the new area of Visual Journalism. Also, you will be educated on how to accomplish photojournalism projects, to create images with video and still cameras, to write down cut lines and voice-overs or narratives for your cut lines, images, to make images, to employ computer software to correct your sound and image and lastly to make presentations for online and print media. In particular, you will be taught how to employ the computer applications such as Premiere, FrontPage, QuarkXPress and PhotoShop to produce web and print journalistic job.

As a student of Visual Journalism, you will improve the artistic, business and technical skills required to connect the power of pictures and be successful in this field. In the altering world of media, a visual journalist should be equipped to mix long-established techniques such as print media and still camera work, with new languages like blogging, digital visual documentaries and podcasting. As a learner for this course, you will surely undertake all of these.

In your heart, they will set you up to function as a true visual journalist. You would be dared to speak the stories within our world through a visual approach. Regardless if you do it with still or moving images, or the design of a website or publication, you would be conversing the meaning of a narrative or story. That story might capture the form of images, news article, environmental portraits, magazine profile, a PR campaign, product images for marketing materials, the design of a newsletter or brochure, a business web design, the magazine or newspaper layout or many other possible visual presentations. You will be practicing all of these in your classes, practicum and during your on-the-job-training.

Also, you will be able to select electives that would offer you broader experience in web design and publication, specialty photography, broadcast journalism, television and film production and many other areas. You will also be trained with the latest trends in mass media, laws prevailing the way to perform your expertise and ethical challenges you are possible to experience on the job.

Job positions for Visual Journalism:

Broadcast Journalist

A Broadcast Journalist is the forefront of radio and television journalism. They are considered as both face and voice of a news narrative. A Broadcast Journalist should be comfortable working with thousands, at times millions of individuals looking at his or her face and listening to his or her voice.

In addition to the skills in investigating and reporting on stories, a Broadcast Journalist has some other specific traits. Compare to a print journalist, a Broadcast Journalist needs to have the ability to stay composed even under much pressure. Normally, he or she would be reporting live from the location where a particular story is happening. There could be a lot of disruptions surrounding the reporter and the capability to remain focused is a key benefit.

The initial step of being a Broadcast Journalist normally happens behind the pictures. A Broadcast Journalist can start his profession at small or not so well know radio or television station. They may set off working devices that is utilized in broadcasting. Sometimes, they could set off doing little slots like the hourly news report or the local weather updates.

Reporters or journalists of any kind are now basically required to have some form of educational requirement in Journalism or Visual Journalism. An excellent deal of knowledge can be obtained from journalism programs. Additional experience will be acquired from working on small radio stations or local newspapers. It is at these little companies that a Broadcast Journalist will gain more knowledge about his or her craft.

The moment he or she becomes more established, a Broadcast Journalist can opt to work in a particular field. This field could be entertainment, politics or war reporting. All of these fields need their own skilled Broadcast Journalists. The working hours could be long and tiring. A huge amount of time is used researching stories, attending interviews meetings and checking details. The time used on air will basically be far less than the actual work that happens behind the scenes.

The competition in this job is severe. There will always be a big quantity of candidates for the position advertised. But if one already has experience working in the field and has more related experience, then there is a greater chance for her or him to be hired. Also, it is useful if a Broadcast Journalist is a proficient in the field he or she specializes.

Although the competition may appears to be tough, any Broadcast Journalist can surely fill different roles inside the media sector. This may include working as a reporter, editor, news anchor or presenter, correspondent and producer.

Usual Work Activities

Though the exact task and duties will differ from one role to another, and between television and radio and internet, a Broadcast Journalist will basically be concerned in many duties on everyday basis.


  • creating concepts for stories or features and tracking leads from the public, news agencies, police, press conference, etc

  • researching and collecting information and evidence to support a story utilizing related fact source like archives, database and the internet

  • choosing suitable location, images and sounds

  • recognizing essential resources and organizing/handling technical crew for site shoots that includes camera crew and sound operators


The average salary of a starting broadcast journalist in the U.S. is $40,472 a year.

Photojournalist

A Photojournalist makes use of images in place of languages to convey a story. This kind of visual journalist has a trained professional eye that has the ability to construe a subject or an event and speak gist by means of photographs. Also, a Photojournalist may use words to aid narrate the images he or she has captured.

Books, newspapers and magazines can all employ the work of a Photojournalist. At times, the whole book is committed to the work of a specific photographer. Also, it is not strange for a Photojournalist to create a trade fair of his or her work. Many of the Photojournalists concentrate in a specific field, like celebrities, world events or portraits. The pictures themselves must be interesting, because that is mainly the source of revenues of most Photojournalists.

There is a huge figure of employment areas available for Photojournalists. This may include jobs on television, internet and on print. If one is adequately talented, he or she can demand for a greater rate for his or her work. Difficult to capture photographs like those taken in hazardous war zones are greatly in demand.

Typically, a Photojournalist is passionate regarding his or her work. They deemed photojournalism as an art. These kinds of visual journalists are highly skilled and have the capacity to see an image that the untalented or untrained eye might simply disregard. In addition, they possess an excellent sense of timing and a huge eye for aspect.

Majority of the work commenced by many Photojournalists is freelance. The competition in such field is so strong, thus training is generally vital. Many Photojournalists contain various form of media degree or photography. Most of them are graduates of Visual Journalism which can be very useful in this kind of field. They may progress working as photographers for local magazines or newspapers or employing in photo agencies.

The technical phases of photojournalism have altered in the recent years. Digital photography has greatly increased its popularity, though diehards assert that 35mm photography is still of better quality. With the use of digital photography the images can be capture and sent through electronic mail (email) to be immediately published.

Photojournalism is perceived by some as a nextremely exciting profession. Going to exotic destinations so as to acquire the perfect image seems enchanting. But photojournalism could be a very hard task and the individual who prefers it to be a career must be committed. There is no assurance for a novice that his or her work will be purchased. The time could be long and uneven, and the entry-level wage is merely adequate.

Whether a recognized or a beginner Photojournalist, one has the opportunity to alter the manner people perceive the world. Also, there is the possibility to show pictures or images that have not yet been exposed before. Just like many other artistic professions, the prize of photographic journalism might not be everything about money. It’s actually the honor and respect that they get from people that makes their career even more fulfilling.