I realize that some papers may also be using AI to aid with reporting, but I really can’t emphasize to young and aspiring journalists enough how critical it is that you get up and go do original reporting and talk to actual people right now. Almost every young budding conservative journalist I meet, and this has been the case for years, wants to be a literary journal editor or focus on opinion writing. Go actually talk to people, go to events and be a fly on the wall! Use your observational skills and imagination to write something AI can’t, because you’re including words said to your human face from actually ensouled human beings. You will be competing with probably hundreds of more qualified candidates when you apply for the rare editorial position opening, sorry. So go build trust with sources, get as many bylines as you can with as much original reporting as you can get. It’ll put hair on your chest and give you grit. This is a transferable skill in short supply. *You are competing with a machine!* Your competitive advantage is physical presence and moral judgement. Go do the leg work, sit in someone’s office or living room and talk to them and take in the small details like their gestures and mannerisms or the idiosyncrasies of the space they inhabit. Read some John McPhee and Tom Wolfe to see how that’s done in an entertaining way. Bring a camera or use your phone and take pictures instead of depending on AI slop images! Journalism at its best is a public service built around human stories!