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What does the future hold for journalism? The question has been on my mind a lot recently as I’ve spoken on the subject at both Accuracy in Media’s 40th anniversary conference last month and the Institute on Political Journalism’s conference over the weekend.

In both cases, I tailored my remarks to aspiring journalists, particularly young people and college students who are trying to navigate a newspaper industry ravaged by layoffs and a media market that is increasingly demanding today’s journalists to do more — from photography and videos to blogging and tweeting.

Last weekend’s IPJ conference put me in a room with 100 college students, many of whom seemed to recognize the challenges of securing employment at a mainstream media company. The panel was titled, “Convergence frenzy: Succeeding in the new media market,” and it was great to hear how some students are already employing new tactics to get a leg up on the competition.

My fellow panelists — Aaron Davis of The Washington Post, professor Mark Grabowski of Adelphi University and David Mastio of The Washington Times – and I spent most of our time offering advice based on a landscape that’s likely to change before many of them even graduate. Still, some of it was very sound, and I’ve pulled together a few of the highlights:

• Build your own personal brand by starting a blog and reporting on niche issues that aren’t getting adequate coverage in your community or on your campus. Davis recounted how key politicos in Annapolis regularly looked to blogs for news — and how the Post’s Maryland Politics blog has become a staple of his job. If done well, you might be able to corner the market, potentially leading to a job.

• Use social media to make connections and build a strong network. As Mastio told the group, someone with 2,000 followers on Twitter is going to be more impressive to a potential employer than other attributes, including your GPA. That’s because your personal network of followers can be one of the most effective ways to share news, drive traffic and have an impact.

• Make connections through good, old-fashioned, face-to-face networking. As easy as it is with the Internet to search for jobs, there’s something to be said for personal contacts. One great way to do that is through the excellent journalism programs offered by IPJ or the National Journalism Center, just to name a couple. Having been a mentor to IPJ interns and supervisor for others, I’ve seen the value students gain from not only their work experience but also from the programs’ educational curriculum.

• Look beyond traditional places of employment. Grabowski runs a great website called CubReporters.org, which offers tips for breaking into journalism and job listings. But don’t stop looking if you can’t find your dream job. Non-profit outfits like the Franklin Center, which trains investigative reports and supports watchdog journalism, are adding staff while mainstream outfits are cutting back. Your first job might not be your dream job, but that doesn’t mean good opportunities aren’t available.

Most of this advice, as you can probably tell, is geared toward college students. But there are plenty of good journalism opportunities for others as well. One of the best is the Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Program, administered by the Phillips Foundation. Print and online journalists with less than 10 years of professional experience are eligible for awards of $75,000 and $50,000 (for full-time fellowships) and $25,000 (for part-time fellowships). The year-long project can focus on any issues supportive of American culture and a free society. Applications for the 2010 fellowships are due in February.

The opportunities to succeed in journalism today are greater than ever, but that doesn’t mean you should deviate from journalism’s core principles. As stated by the Society of Professional Journalists, “Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information.” I can’t think of a better advice to aspiring reporters.

Photo by Andrew Phelps. http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewphelps/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0