Aspiring journalists: how to build a portfolio

The Association of Foreign Press Correspondents is dedicated to supporting foreign correspondents, both new and veterans. We have compiled a list of tips to boost your portfolio for aspiring journalists that are newer to the field. 

Select Samples for Your Portfolio 

If you don’t have many samples, don’t feel too down about it. Samples should not be exclusively from big-name publications. Editors also look for smaller publications, local newspapers, stations, or even niche blogs online when hiring decisions. These days, editors understand that reporting in the digital age looks different than previous generations of journalism. 

In a journalism portfolio, you should include clips from newspapers and magazines, blogs and digital articles, television, radio, and any documentary or photography credits. The beauty of the internet is that you can provide links to almost any published work. 

Find Your Inspiration 

Portfolios should be a first-glance view of the work you’re most proud of. Portfolios are all about displaying the quality of your writing and reporting, as well as your journalistic range. 

Spend some time reading through different portfolios from journalists you especially admire. They probably have portfolios out there as well. A little research into how they set up their work can be a good starting point for you. 

Don’t Feel Too Intimidated 

The journalism industry can be challenging to break into. With tons of people competing for jobs, it can be daunting to keep applying. The good news is that there are many opportunities in the journalism field for jobs. 

As previously mentioned, your work doesn’t have to be from a major media outlet to stand out. And with the rise of digital media, there are more ways to showcase your talent as a reporter than ever before. 

Make it Accessible to Everyone 

According to a post from the International Journalists’ Network, building a digital portfolio through an online medium. Whether the portfolio is on a blog or an entire website dedicated to it.

Establishing a website to document all the clips you’re proud of will be helpful for editors to vet your content and brand as a journalist. 

Starting an online presence from scratch can be daunting, but an accessible platform is how you attract both readers and editors alike. A sleek, organized website is just the thing to do that. 

Websites like Wix or SquareSpace provide basic formats for people that are interested in growing themselves online. These websites have free and premium options as well. With these options, it is simple to put together an engaging digital presence with all the content you want hiring editors to find. 

Another important aspect of accessibility is categories for your work. Now that you have accessible samples out there make it easy by putting your work into different sections. 

You can separate your work by medium, specific beats, year, location, or publication. Include Areas About Any Special Skills 

Ezra Klein put it best in this Vox article, being able to write as an aspiring journalist won’t really set you apart from anyone else when applying for jobs. If you have any other skills in your arsenal, like photography skills, experience with newspaper or magazine design, or an in-depth understanding of data and graphs, use that. If you have any published work that displays these skills, add it in as well. Anything to make you stand out to hiring editors is going to be essential in your portfolio. 

Establish a Personal Narrative 

Once you’ve set up a website, it’s important to create a bio and start adding in your clips. Your bio establishes a narrative about who you are, and it can help editors get to know you better. 

Going back to the journalists you follow closely, check out how they market themselves in their portfolio. Once you establish your own narrative, add in your clips and media, and you’ll be ready to go!