Transitioning from newspapers into TV

Personally I'd stay where you are. TV has very poor pay and it's unstable work. I would try to climb where you are.

A journalism qualification is very valuable in TV- do you know if you are NCTJ accredited? It does take time to get into the flow of regular contracts, but if you are able to afford to take breaks you should be fine. Every person has a different experience. It also depends on the type of TV you are interested in. Channel 4 do a good investigative journalism training scheme for Dispatches. But just getting your CV and name out will give you a good feel for opportunities. Good luck!

The simple answer to your question is yes, you should go into tv, if that’s where you feel your passion lies. However, most tv roles are freelance, feast to famine, so if you can cope with living on little money for a period of time I’d say go for it. You have the journalistic experience but tv requires telling stories in pictures and with the right gig you’ll soon pick this up. To get started, I suggest you look for production roles in tv, researcher, assistant producer, anything really to get your foot in the door within a tv production office - then the rest is up to you. You’re starting from a great position- best of luck ??

Didn’t mean the “??” Sorry ?

So I was pretty much exactly in your position until 6 months ago. I did the Dispatches Investigate Journalism Training Scheme but I stayed in newspapers for a bit since it's a steady gig. Beware that TV is all freelancing and don't rush into it until you can financially, would be my advice.
You should be a researcher but it is hard to get a researcher job because everyone wants experience. I got in by applying for a runner job and being told I'm too qualified and then being given a chance as a researcher. Not sure it would work for everyone but it's how I managed to make the move.

Hi Indya, assuming you're not talking about TV news (which I've not got experience with) you're right that researcher could be a good role to aim for with your background in journalism. You could get a foot in the door with a runner job too, which can be an invaluable way to see how things work, but you may well find a research / junior research role that suits, so apply for them too. It's worth having a good idea about what sort of shows you want to be working on and you could directly target companies who make those shows. Highlight the transferable skills you have, which will be many, the lack of direct experience might stop you getting some researcher roles but others might be able to take on someone less experienced. It could be worth mentioning, on your profile, some of the stories you've worked on - there might be some direct crossover with a production that helps you get your foot in the door. I'm sure there are other people here who can give more specific advice, including about training courses and schemes, but I hope that's helpful. Best of luck!

I would probably ignore Rosalind's comment - if TV is your passion then pursue it - don't let a total and quite unhelpful stranger dictate your career. Also, TV freelancing is all about helping each other out and giving each other leads for jobs - that's just how it works...

...If you have zero TV experience as you say, going in as a researcher will be tough as it's a competitive level. Do it the hard way, and look for runner jobs - these are a great foot in the door and as a runner, you will have access to most people in the company, from the researchers right through to the EP at the top, so you become well known and familiar (if you do a good job of course) - this will help you land a researcher role as you can offer to 'step up' and help.

You can it unhelpful. I call it realistic. Going in as a runner or researcher means Indya will be earning between £400-500 per week. How anyone can survive on that i don't know. Straight from uni fine but not when you already have an established career behind you.

I agree with Rosalind. This is an industry that doesn't pay well. If you want to make broadcast television then there are small budgets and long hours, don't get into it for money! If I could give any advice it would be to go straight into online and branded content. More money, more creative input, meaningful content.

Depending on the type of journalism you've done, I'd assume that your CV could look quite good from a current affairs perspective. If so, seek out companies that make current affairs shows on a regular basis, or talent managers looking for journalism. Any production company that's made a Dispatches, for example, or contact the BBC Current Affairs Talent Manager. Your skills will clearly be transferable in the long run but getting steady work can be tricky. I had back to back work when I started in TV for 3.5 years but the last 6 months have been awful due to the pandemic. I imagine journalism is also not the most stable world, so if you could build up continuing journalism on a freelance basis along with TV work then you have more strings to your bow. It's clear, though, that in TV you need a safety net in tough times so if you can build that up before embarking whole-heartedly on the TV journey then I would recommend that. If TV's what you really want to do, though, don't be put off! A journalism background is a good starting off point, and coming into TV late isn't necessarily a bad thing - I started TV in my 30s and was an AP in under 3 years.

Rosalind -

I disagree, I think when someone is asking for advice to get into TV as it's their passion, and you say - "don't bother, stay where you are" - it's not helpful at all. You're putting so much emphasis on the financial side of things as if it's the only factor to consider in getting a job. We don't know Indya's situation, but we have to assume she's in a decent enough position to be financially secure to make the move, plus we don't know what support she does or doesn't have to freelance.

I freelance in BOTH newspapers and TV, and I can comfortably say that TV pays MORE...a lot MORE.

Also consider that your emphasis on money alone is not a determining factor in why people should or shouldn't work in an industry. Job satisfaction trumps money in almost every case. People are happy to work in an industry they love for the offset of a lower payment - such as working as a civil servant vs private sector or being a doctor in the NHS vs being one on Harley St.

I realise that in my first response to your question I got sucked into the conversation about work and financial stability, which is not at all what you asked for! TV is fun and interesting and varied and you learn all the time, so I'm not surprised you want to work in it! There are obviously negatives too (a lot of which have been dwelt on here) but all work is a compromise.

If you're used to coming up with and pitching story ideas, plus being good at writing, then working in development might be an entry place to aim for. All production companies have development teams to come up with new ideas, so you could find companies making shows that you like and contact the talent manager - or the head of development directly - asking about junior development researcher or development assistant positions. In general, any type of production company runner/office assistant/production or development assistant position puts you in contact with all manner of people in a company, and you'd almost certainly be moved up to researcher when the time comes if you prove yourself to be good. That's how I started out.

I don't really like it but a lot of companies offer two weeks of unpaid work experience with expenses covered. I've seen so many people employed off the back of those roles. When offices re-open then it's another possibility.

Best of luck!

Thank you everyone for your advice. It's given me a better idea of what roles I should apply for, bearing in mind the skills I've gained as a journalist, and what homework I need to do before transitioning. I really appreciate it.

I understand the risks of moving from a 'stable' job to working in TV which is more of a freelance industry. But to be honest, newspaper journalists get very bad pay in my opinion, despite the fast-paced and stressful work that we do every day and not to mention the abuse we get from people daily for simply doing our job.

So I'm happy to move on to doing something that I actually enjoy and have a keen interest in. I think I'll be really good at it - I just need to put myself out there! Thank you.

I began this transition a couple of years ago and I still write for newspapers and magazines but the bulk of my income now comes from TV work. Although TV work is intermittent, I've generally found that my skills are more valued in the TV industry than they were in newspapers (I had a decade on national newspapers in various roles behind me). I work as an edit producer on factual shows. I like the collegiate atmosphere in TV and the day rate is generally better compared with a freelancer day rate in journalism. If you're used to a fast-paced environment and tight deadlines then it won't be a challenge for you! When you're just starting out, it is possible to do both for a while until you've built up enough contacts which can help level out the peaks and troughs with your income. Best of luck and feel free to message me if you like. :)

Yes because you are in the same line of duty

I moved from freelance writing to TV at the beginning of my career, and I have lost count of the number of times people have commented on the value of journalistic training in interviews, so you are already in a stronger position than most of the industry-entrants you're likely to be up against.

If I were you, I would specifically target development roles. These will make the best use of your journalistic skills, and your CV is likely to be particularly appealing to the people recruiting.

Furthermore, from a practical point of view, development contracts tend to be more long-term than production roles.

Very much hope that helps Indya, and let me know if you'd like me to take a glance across your CV.