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- Do the background research for films, TV, radio or other media productions
- You'll need excellent research and investigation skills, attention to detail, and creative ideas
- Progress to senior research roles or move into writing, production or direction
As a media researcher, you'll work in television or radio, finding information, people and locations.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Discuss programme ideas and researching needs with producers
- Find and check information
- Search media libraries and archives
- Write briefs for presenters or brief scriptwriters
- Find studio audiences and programme contributors
- Look for locations
- Research and write content for websites and social media
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You could work in an office or at a TV studio, and your working environment may at times be outdoors.
You'll need
For this role, you'll need knowledge of English language, analytical thinking skills, thoroughness and attention to detail, good initiative, customer service skills, ambition and a desire to succeed, persistence and determination, and excellent verbal communication skills.
It might be useful to do a degree in a relevant subject like broadcasting and media, English, history, journalism, or politics.
You could do a college course in creative media to teach you relevant skills needed, or complete an advanced apprenticeship as a broadcast production assistant.
You can start as an administrator, runner or production assistant in TV and work your way up.
There are no set entry requirements, but the right skills, contacts and work experience are highly valued. You can move into programme research if you've worked in journalism or had a research job in a non-media field, like social or political research.
You could get contacts and experience by working on radio productions, or student film or TV productions, in local newspapers, student publications, hospital or community radio, film archives or picture libraries.
You'll need practical experience of media production, and to develop a network of contacts in the industry. For general areas, knowledge of current affairs and the media, plus evidence of lateral thinking and creative problem solving is useful. Specialist knowledge and research experience might be necessary for specific subjects or documentaries.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could supervise a research team on larger productions. You could also move into an assistant producer role, or writing or directing.