Photojournalist to crime journalist
A photojournalist already meets 75% of what the crime journalist role asks for. The move turns on 3 required skills not yet in the profile.
31.4/ 100
1 How much of what a crime journalist is expected to do is already part of a photojournalist’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the crime journalist role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A crime journalist role treats 19 of its required skills as things a photojournalist already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- apply grammar and spelling rules
- build contacts to maintain news flow
- consult information sources
- copyright legislation
- develop professional network
- editorial standards
What stands in the way is 3 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 35 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A crime journalist role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a photojournalist background worth leading with.
- already held follow directions of on-site director communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held write captions communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held stay up to date with social media information skills
- already held manage personal finances management skills
- already held write headlines communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held evaluate writings in response to feedback communication, collaboration and creativity
All 35 carried skills, including the 19 the crime journalist role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 18 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn court procedures required
- still to learn criminal law required
- still to learn record court procedures required
- optional, not held document interviews optional
- optional, not held ask questions at events optional
- optional, not held present during live broadcasts optional
- optional, not held promote one's writings optional
- optional, not held rewrite articles optional
- optional, not held communicate by telephone optional
- optional, not held proofread text optional
- optional, not held provide written content optional
- optional, not held show diplomacy optional
- optional, not held multimedia systems optional
- optional, not held pronunciation techniques optional
- optional, not held ICT software specifications optional
- optional, not held desktop publishing optional
- optional, not held law enforcement optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a crime journalist role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 35 skills that carry over
- already held apply grammar and spelling rules skill
- already held build contacts to maintain news flow skill
- already held consult information sources skill
- already held copyright legislation knowledge
- already held develop professional network skill
- already held editorial standards knowledge
- already held evaluate writings in response to feedback skill
- already held follow ethical code of conduct of journalists skill
- already held follow the news skill
- already held grammar knowledge
- already held interview people skill
- already held interview techniques knowledge
- already held participate in editorial meetings skill
- already held spelling knowledge
- already held stay up to date with social media skill
- already held study topics skill
- already held use specific writing techniques skill
- already held write to a deadline skill
- already held writing techniques knowledge
- already held adapt to type of media skill
- already held audio editing software knowledge
- already held check correctness of information skill
- already held create online news content skill
- already held edit digital moving images skill
- already held edit negatives skill
- already held edit photographs skill
- already held edit recorded sound skill
- already held follow directions of on-site director skill
- already held manage personal finances skill
- already held manage writing administration skill
- already held perform image editing skill
- already held perform video editing skill
- already held press law knowledge
- already held write captions skill
- already held write headlines skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held apply desktop publishing techniques optional
15 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held ICT software specifications optional
- optional, not held ask questions at events optional
- optional, not held present during live broadcasts optional
- optional, not held promote one's writings optional
- optional, not held rewrite articles optional
- optional, not held apply desktop publishing techniques optional
- optional, not held communicate by telephone optional
- optional, not held desktop publishing optional
- optional, not held document interviews optional
- optional, not held law enforcement optional
- optional, not held multimedia systems optional
- optional, not held pronunciation techniques optional
- optional, not held proofread text optional
- optional, not held provide written content optional
- optional, not held show diplomacy optional
16 held skills the crime journalist role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role adapt to changing situations skill
- not needed by the target role develop film skill
- not needed by the target role digital journalism knowledge
- not needed by the target role direct photographic workers skill
- not needed by the target role follow newspaper house style skill
- not needed by the target role maintain an artistic portfolio skill
- not needed by the target role maintain photographic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role manage personal professional development skill
- not needed by the target role meet deadlines skill
- not needed by the target role photography knowledge
- not needed by the target role record multi-track sound skill
- not needed by the target role select camera apertures skill
- not needed by the target role select photographic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role set up photographic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role test photographic equipment skill
- not needed by the target role use photographic equipment skill
7 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn court procedures required
- still to learn criminal law required
- optional, not held ICT software specifications optional
- optional, not held desktop publishing optional
- optional, not held law enforcement optional
- optional, not held multimedia systems optional
- optional, not held pronunciation techniques optional
Common questions about this move
Can a photojournalist become a crime journalist?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. A photojournalist already covers 75% of what a crime journalist is expected to do: 35 skills carry over, 19 of which the crime journalist role treats as required.
What skills does a photojournalist need to become a crime journalist?
3 required skills are missing, plus 15 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by business, administration and law. The single most important is court procedures.
How hard is the move from photojournalist to crime journalist?
Its learning distance is 31.4 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.