Journalist

Step 1: Complete a Bachelor's Degree programme
Aspiring financial journalists may pursue a Bachelor's degree programme in journalism, communications, finance or economics. Students who want to build a foundation in finance and journalism can take courses in print or broadcast writing, editing, micro and macroeconomics, accounting and statistics. Some schools offer majors or specializations in business journalism that combine courses in news writing, media ethics, economics reporting and a variety of financial topics. Success Tip:
Gain practical experience. Students can develop critical skills in researching, interviewing and writing by working for a college newspaper or broadcast station. Aspiring journalists may also pursue internships at professional news organizations that can help them practice finding story angles and writing for different audiences. Interns may conduct research and compose breaking news and enterprise stories about businesses, financial markets and the economy. Step 2: Gain Work Experience
Financial writers may work in print, broadcast or Web media settings as reporters, analysts and/or commentators. Journalists often start in entry-level positions, either as general assignment reporters or working in a business or finance beat. In these jobs, reporters can strengthen their knowledge of fiscal issues and build the skills needed for higher-level positions, including the ability to analyze economic data and predict developments in the financial world. Success Tip:
Join a professional association. Financial journalists may find education, training and networking opportunities through organizations such as the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. Step 3: Stay Abreast of Technology
According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the majority of newspapers and magazines now produce online publications in addition to their printed material. For journalists, this means staying up to date with Web technology in order to be able to produce blog posts, podcasts and Web videos is important. Moreover, websites are likely to be updated more often than printed stories, making it imperative for the journalist to know how to manage Web technology.

The salary ranges from a meagre 15K to probably 2 Lacs/month (higher salary for well-known TV anchors, editors, etc). This is in case of a well known, big media house. The salary of a producer working in office, and that of a reporter are different. There is no specific scale, but the size of the organisation does matter. I worked with ABP News. It was a great place to learn the basics of TV News Production, but the salary was not at par with the workload. Thus, things may differ. But there are newspapers and local channels that offer something as low as 5K/month, but mostly this is the figure in cities like Bhopal, Indore, Bareilly. Thus, it all depends heavily on the job location, profile, etc.

No course or training can claim to make one a journalist. The courses train persons in the technical aspects only, to ensure one's success in the field one must have an inborn ability to write and produce new stories in the correct, concise and interesting style. Educational Qualification to becoming a journalist: Bachelor's degree or post-graduate degree in journalism/mass communication is required to pursue a career in this field. The additional coursework specialised training or experience, fieldwork or internship increases one's opportunities in the field. There are a number of universities and institutes offering training in journalism. Minimum eligibility for Bachelor degree in journalism is 10+2 and for Postgraduate degree courses a Bachelor degree in journalism. Some institutes also provide one-year certificate courses in journalism for which eligibility is 10+2. There are also courses in specialised areas of journalism like sports, television, photo, press law, etc.
Regards.