by Ingrid Chu Nowadays some people work just for the sake of earning money. Before long, they start to lose the passion and creativity they once possessed. Yet as Steve Jobs has said: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.” To me, great work is what allows you to “earn while you learn.” Of all the jobs I have done before, being an international news writer is a position that allows me to significantly improve myself while being paid.
So who is an international news writer? International news writers, literally, are people who are responsible for composing international news articles in media companies. These writers are often advanced in at least two languages, have a flair for translating, and are required to have high concentration. On every shift, writers will be assigned around two news topics, often the headlines chosen by their manager from foreign news websites. Afterwards, they need to try figuring out how the incident has occurred and its importance, then search for other supplementary information so that the target audience can comprehend. For a 1000-word article, they are required to read at least three news reports in order to get the whole picture of the event. Later on they will start reorganizing and translating. And all of this has to be accomplished in three hours. Usually, the writers are also demanded to find pictures, videos, or tweets to support their stories. That is to say, being an international news writer allows you to read through a wide range of news from all over the world, with topics from health, politics, economy, culture, and so on. Meanwhile, when searching for supplementary data, you will also read through many types of material. The Learning Journey Never Ends As international news writers should encounter and translate new topics every day, there are few chances to become dispirited. But there are also many benefits. Firstly, they can enhance their language skills. From each article they may be faced with new phrases and have to learn to write persuasive content. Eventually, an international news writer should possess excellent reading skills in the source languages and great writing skills in the target languages. This also permits the writer to receive other opportunities. For instance, I once met an international news writer who garnered many translating jobs just because a translating agency saw her articles online. Secondly, international news writers become more knowledgeable since they must read a lot. I once received an article about the Pap smear test, which taught me the seriousness of cervical cancer. I’ve also written an article about a 90-year-old Jewish couple who escaped Nazi persecution, which reminded me of the cruelty of war. Overall, as an international news writer you will know more about everything, allowing you to become someone who has empathy for different cultures. Want to become an international news writer? Get prepared! Despite the fact that many news media companies have openings for international news writers, to become a news translator you still need to be prepared. First you need to be equipped with advanced language skills. But you also have to be careful. Once your article is published, it can be viewed by thousands of people. Thus, if any mistakes are made you will mislead readers and ruin the reputation of your company. Yet most important of all, you have to be a culture lover who is interested in international affairs. A job with a flexible schedule Regular news writers have to be on standby 24 hours a day and take shifts during the nighttime and on weekends. With online news, however, there are two shifts: from 10:00 am to 18:00 and from 14:00 to 22:00. Sometimes we are also permitted to work from home so we can still spend time with our families, or get up late if we have the evening shift. Becoming an international news writer allows you to learn while you earn. If you are tired of your current job, why not try to become an international news writer instead? a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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