A magazine journalist works in print media, as opposed to television or radio journalists who broadcast their stories. Newspaper journalists also communicate through written media, but the daily versus monthly deadlines are a significant difference. Although the responsibilities of freelance magazine journalists and those who work on the staff of a single publication are similar, the amount of time required to complete each task differs.
For example, because freelance magazine journalists typically need to write for at least several different publications each month to make a living, they must spend a significant amount of time looking for work. Although every magazine journalist must get an editor’s approval before writing a story, editors may take longer to approve story ideas from freelance writers than from staff writers. As a result, freelance magazine journalists frequently pitch story ideas. Editors are more likely to assign stories to staff writers than they are to freelance magazine journalists.
Both types of magazine journalists will typically need to conduct research once a story idea has been approved or assigned. This could include researching background information such as the age of a building for a story about a local lighthouse or interviewing lottery winners for a story about winning the jackpot. Interviews can be conducted in person, but they can also be done over the phone or even via email to save time for the journalist. Freelance journalists may have to spend more time traveling to gather information for stories than staff journalists.
When preparing articles for publication, magazine journalists must be honest and use facts. Although many magazines are more opinion-oriented than the news-oriented journalism required in newspapers, magazine journalists must still be ethical and accurate in their writing. However, magazine writing is much more detailed and in-depth than newspaper reporting. A magazine journalist typically has a broader range of topics to cover and a longer article length.
A magazine journalist typically works in a more open format than a newspaper journalist, who presents the most important news first. A newspaper article about a new museum opening, for example, might begin with grand opening dates and specials, then move on to the exhibits that set it apart, and finally, future additions to the building. A magazine article about the same museum opening might start with the writer’s thoughts on the location or exhibits, followed by information about other museums and exhibit options.
A newspaper reporter’s deadline is often the end of the same day, whereas magazine journalists may have weeks for a deadline for one article. Newspaper journalists are frequently pressed for time to schedule important interviews, whereas magazine journalists typically have more time to schedule meetings or phone calls with those involved in a story. While a staff magazine or newspaper journalist is usually focused on one story and deadline at a time, a freelance journalist may work on multiple stories with different deadlines.