How do you became an “award-winning” journalist? Press associations are the organizations that run contests and sponsor awards. But they do a lot more than resume building, too. They look out for the long-term interests of the profession, maintain professional ethical codes, and provide a platform for the defense of freedom of the press. Most journalists join at least one general organization (often SPJ) and one specialty organization (education, crime, science, environment, sports, business, etc).
- Virginia Press Association — Jobs, training, legislative issues and other state press issues.
- Virginia Association of Broadcasters —
- Society of Professional Journalists — National organization
- Investigative Reporters and Editors — IRE trains reporters to investigate public issues
- Society of Environmental Journalists — Environmental reporting takes specialization
- National Association of Science Writers — Science writing, more focus on medicine and space than SEJ
- Education Writers Association —
- International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
- Reporters without borders
Professional training resources
- Journalism dot org — Pew Research Center
- Poynter Center
- YouTube Reporters Center
- How to solve impossible problems with Google search techniques.
- Covering Crime and Justice
- Data-driven journalism Knight Center MOOC course
- Teaching journalism for sustainable development, UNESCO
- News Reporters Legal Handbook (Wisconsin)
Writing resources
- Strunk & White’s Elements of Style — A classic
- Newsroom 101 AP Style tests — Sharpens skills