Journalist cover letter example
A journalist's cover letter should read like your best copy: lead with a story you broke and what followed, then your beat, NCTJ qualification and shorthand speed, and two story ideas for the patch you are applying to cover.
Fictional letter from Sam Okoro, the applicant in the journalist cv example. Every person and employer in it is invented.
Why each paragraph is there
From a line in a set of council papers, I found that a tram depot project was £2 million over budget, and my story led the council to order an independent review. I am applying for the Senior Reporter role on the Upper Wharfe Herald.
Lead with a story and its effect, as you would lead copy.
I have reported for the Sheffield Evening Courier for three years, covering council, crown court and the local NHS trust, filing four to six stories a day for web and print, and I film and edit short video for our website.
Your beat, volume and multimedia skills.
I hold the NCTJ Diploma in Journalism with shorthand at 100 words per minute. For Wharfedale, I would start with the closure of rural bus routes and the cost of second homes for local families.
Qualifications, then story ideas for this patch.
My CV and five clips are attached. Thank you for considering my application.
What is attached and a short close.