Career Profile: Becoming an Investigative Reporter
This paper profiles a career in investigative reporting through the lens of a personal interest and a firsthand interview with Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter Jilda Unruh of WPLG Channel 10 in Miami, Florida. The paper examines the educational backgrounds useful for entering the field, the typical path from traditional reporting to investigative work, the importance of building contacts and sources, salary expectations, and the competitive job market. It also weighs the benefits and drawbacks of the profession, including varied daily tasks, long hours, personal safety risks, and legal concerns such as libel and slander.
- Introduction: Personal motivation for exploring investigative reporting
- Education and Preparation for the Field: Interview insights on helpful academic backgrounds
- Breaking Into Investigative Reporting: Career pathways, contacts, and competition in journalism
- Salary and Job Market Outlook: Typical earnings and demand for investigative reporters
- Benefits and Drawbacks of the Career: Daily variety weighed against risks and long hours
- Conclusion: Career fit based on personal values and work style
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What makes this paper effective
- Grounds abstract career information in a concrete primary source — a personal interview with a working Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter — giving the paper credibility and specificity.
- Balances objective reporting (salary figures, job competition statistics) with personal reflection, making the argument for career fit feel authentic rather than generic.
- Acknowledges both the benefits and drawbacks of the career honestly, which strengthens the paper's credibility and shows critical thinking rather than one-sided enthusiasm.
Key academic technique demonstrated
This paper effectively integrates multiple source types — a personal interview, a career database, and an academic institution's career guidance — to support its claims. The writer attributes each piece of information clearly, modeling basic source attribution and the use of direct quotation within a career research context.
Structure breakdown
The paper follows a logical five-part structure: a personal introduction establishing motivation, an interview-based section on education, a section on career pathways and competition, a data-driven look at salary and job availability, and a pros-and-cons analysis. The conclusion ties back to the writer's personality and career goals, creating a cohesive narrative arc typical of a career-profile assignment.
Introduction
Whether it was reading my younger sister's diary or spying on my neighbors whom I was convinced were axe murderers, I have always had a natural calling for being a sleuth. In addition to my voyeuristic tendencies, I am also interested in current events and politics. As a result of these interests, I am drawn to a career as an investigative reporter.
Education and Preparation for the Field
I interviewed Jilda Unruh, an Emmy Award-winning investigative reporter at WPLG Channel 10 in Miami, FL, for some inside information on her line of work. Regarding preparation for the field, she said, "A solid, diverse education is more important than any particular major. Investigative reporting covers such a broad spectrum of topics that one must be comfortable in a variety of subjects." Ms. Unruh did not major in journalism, but noted that the writing and fact-finding skills taught in most undergraduate programs are helpful for writing effective scripts and interview questions.
She majored in American History, which she says "helps her in understanding the underlying themes of today's issues in current events and politics." Her second major, drama, has also proven useful when she must conduct undercover work for her assignments.
Works Cited
"Career Profile: Journalism." The Princeton Review Online. <
"The International Consortium of Investigative Reporters." The Center for Public Integrity Project. <
"Majors and Careers in Journalism." Indiana University College of Journalism. <http://www.indiana.edu/~udiv/majors/majorinfo.cgi/69>
"Muckraker: The Center for Investigative Reporting." <
Unruh, Jilda. Personal Interview. July 5, 2002.
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