In a world where everyone has a camera in their pocket and anyone can be a "reporter," it's more important than ever to make sure your visual journalism stands out. Whether you're an undergraduate student with a passion for media or looking to further your career progression, here are five tips to help you excel in a competitive industry.

In this blog, we will also explore how an MA Visual Journalism and Storytelling degree at the University of Bolton could be the perfect choice to support your career ambitions.

Visual journalism and storytelling

1. Find Your Niche

There are so many stories out there waiting to be told. Find the ones that speak to you and focus on telling those stories well. When you're passionate about your work, it shows, and that passion is contagious. Your audience will emotionally resonate with your story and will be more likely to come back for more.

2. Be Authentic

In a world full of numerous online news sources, and the reach of social media, people can spot fake news from a mile away. Look at the Daily Mail and The Sun, for example. Readers are much more likely to believe a breaking news story from the Daily Mail because it’s a more reliable source. Alternatively, if you love being the first to find out the latest football match or transfer news, Twitter would be a more reliable source than Facebook. This is because football teams are known to release news on Twitter before they release it anywhere else. In a world where "alternative facts" are becoming more common, it's important to tell the truth. When you're authentic, your audience will trust you, and that trust is essential for any good relationship.

3. Be Knowledgeable

Anyone can go out and take photos or shoot video, but it takes knowledge and skill to do it well. If you want to be taken seriously as a visual journalist, make sure you know your craft inside and out. Take classes, read books, and practice! The better you get; the more likely people are to seek you out when they need quality visual journalism.

4. Creativity is the key

With everyone fighting for attention online, it's more important than ever to set yourself apart with creativity. Think outside the box and push boundaries with your work. Try new things and take risks—you never know what might pay off in a big way. Even if something doesn't work out quite like you planned, at least you'll have learned something along the way.

5. Be Timeless

Remember that even though news cycles move quickly, your work will be available online forever. That means it's important to create work that will stand the test of time; work that is timeless and relevant no matter when someone stumbles across it. With that in mind, put extra care into everything you create and make sure it meets your high standards before hitting publish.

Benefits of studying MA Visual Journalism and Storytelling

No matter whether in print, online, or on TV, powerful images are essential to capturing the world’s attention, and they play an increasingly central role in driving global news coverage. Also, the increasing popularity of social media has meant that visuals are also now playing a major role in spreading news and engaging audiences.

At the University of Bolton, our MA Visual Journalism and Storytelling course is designed to appeal to a diverse range of people who have interests in journalism, documentary, social advocacy, and other forms of non-fiction storytelling. The course aims to focus on our student’s practical skills, building their visual and multimedia knowledge through assignments that mirror real-life industry briefs; developing reporting and storytelling skills to underpin their creative practice.

The work of our creative and passionate lecturers and alumni has been recognised with prestigious industry awards, including the World Press Photo and George Folk Award. Our graduates work as either staff or freelancers at major news publications as camera operators, documentary producers and filmmakers, photojournalists, and multimedia reporters. Alternatively, others have ended up working as content creators in non-profit, governmental, and commercial sectors.

Interested in becoming the genius behind the camera, reporting on the next braking news stories? MA Visual Journalism and Storytelling at the University of Bolton could be an excellent career choice. If you wish to find out more about the course or see how to apply, click here.

Speak to our lecturers within our Bolton School of the Arts Faculty and find out about the teaching-intensive, research-informed approach that we provide.

For more information, contact us at enquiries@bolton.ac.uk or call us on 01204 903807.

-->