A traveling journalist is constantly reporting on breaking news events, human interest stories, or both in different locations. Many travel journalists focus on the field of travel and write articles about their experiences with various hotels and attractions. They may travel locally, nationally, or internationally in order to gather unique information and convey it in their own unique style. Of course, the written piece must follow the house style of the publication in which the article will appear.
Rather than taking work trips out of town on occasion, as some journalists do, the traveling type is constantly on the move. A traveling journalist must pitch a story idea to an editor once he or she is inspired by a topic and angle for a story. If the editor agrees, he or she will most likely conduct research first. A traveling journalist is more likely to conduct face-to-face interviews than other journalists who conduct a lot of phone interviews.
A traveling journalist often seeks out people as an inspiration source because he or she travels constantly in search of stories that match the interests of readers of a particular publication rather than reporting on the same “beat” or area. Traveling journalists find it easy to come up with a good story idea and angle after speaking with people in interesting places around the world. For these types of journalists, the ability to do this well is crucial.
Traveling journalists may stay in luxury hotels, rustic campgrounds, or a variety of accommodations, depending on the publications for which they write. These journalists may spend some of their non-work hours visiting tourist attractions or relaxing on the beach, but the majority of what they see and do on their trips is usually included in the articles they write. While a travel journalist can set his or her own schedule for interviewing and writing articles, guidebooks, or newspaper pieces, he or she must still adhere to the publication’s deadlines.
If a traveling journalist specializes in food writing, he or she will select restaurants to visit and interview the owners and staff. These food journalists aren’t necessarily reviewers, but they’re more likely to write about an interesting aspect of the restaurant’s history as well as the restaurant’s unique dishes. Journalists may write one or more articles focused on a specific region in addition to writing about specific establishments. Photographs may be taken by traveling journalists to accompany their stories.