怎样才能去经济学人当记者？

问：平时喜欢看看新闻评论，热爱学术，想去经济学人工作是我的职业梦想。目前的情况是有订The Economist，看这个理解基本无压力，但是遇到一些金融类的就怂了，政体法律等的也觉得很欠缺，人文类的素养也不够，科技类的一些特别专业的也只能脑子里随便yy了。总之一句话，不够精深。我怎样做才能实现我的职业梦想？

答：Given that the question poster clearly has a good command of English and that readers concerned about this question are equally competent in reading English, I decide to reply in English. My answer is entirely based on personal knowledge, observation, and impression, and should by no means be construed as authoritative.

First, hats off to your ambition. Aspiring to be a The Economist correspondent is admirable and laudable. I once briefly fantasized about the same possibility, but never pursued it. I am glad you are thinking of pursuing it. Go for it. Stick to it. It's hard, but not impossible. It's a goal worth working hard for.

Now let's break down your question and take one piece a step. If I am not mistaken, according to your description, you are shooting for being a The Economist correspondent, not an editor, at least not at this stage of your career. It looks such a post requires three main qualities: excellent command of written English, critical and clear thinking, and specialty knowledge. A quick skim of the profiles of The Economist correspondents (Media directory) confirms the tripartite requirement.

History has seen many writers who prefer to write or only write in English, their second or third language. Joseph Conrad, a Pole-turned-British, amazed the English speaking world by his novels in English, a language he didn't speak until his twenties. Equally if not more impressive, Vladimir Nabokov is a widely acclaimed writer of English prose, despite English being his third language after Russian and French. More recently, Mandarin-speaking Ha Jin and Anchee Min joined the league. Also, The New Yorker's 20 Under 40 (20 Under 40 - The New Yorker) list reveals that a fresh flow is under way--"Although all the non-native writers on our list have made a home for themselves in North America—some moved here as children, some as adults—the diversity of origins is striking: Nigeria (Adichie), Peru (Alarcón), Latvia (Bezmozgis), China (Li), Ethiopia (Mengestu), Yugoslavia (Obreht), and Russia (Shteyngart)." As the proven path suggests, English writing can be learned and perfected for the daring.

Critical and clear thinking is a must for a The Economist correspondent. This is manifest in the writing style for which The Economist is known and respected. It's on every page of the newspaper. When you subconsciously nod as you read, you know that The Economist correspondents know what they are doing. The Economist is not limited to factual reporting; its strengths are insight and vision, depth and width.

Specialty knowledge matters, but matters less than Critical and clear thinking. Many The Economist correspondents had little or no journalistic training. They are not journalists per se. Many of them read literature, history, philosophy, politics, economics, and liberal arts in college. Some even did engineering. But one thing is for sure--they are curious and good thinkers equipped with experience and a supportive work environment. They learn on the job. Overtime they become experts on specialty knowledge. Some write their own books while they are working for The Economist. It's the norm for The Economist correspondents to switch their specialty and move from one continent to the other. Curiosity and intelligence know no bounds.

However, there are some baby steps that you may want to consider NOW.

First, keep reading The Economist and be informed about its off-line events. Through habitual reading, you will be able to have a finer sense of its writing style (so that you can emulate), its reporting priorities (so that you can delve deep into the subjects), and its use of data, charts, and figures (so that you can catch up). The Economist holds forums, conferences and industry-specific events in Beijing, Shanghai, and HongKong. Whenever possible, try to attend some to deepen your knowledge of the publication and also NETWORK.

Second, become a member of Foreign Correspondents' Club of China (fccchina.org 的页面). You don't have to be a journalist to join. Membership will entitle you admission to free lectures, forums, and happy hours where foreign correspondents (likely including The Economist correspondents) mingle. Engage participants, introduce yourself, share your thoughts, ask speakers questions (so that you get attention), and you will have a broader network that may eventually help you land your dream job.

Third, consider working for foreign correspondents as a personal aide or interpreter. They are not always looking for candidates, but be watchful. Once you have the chance, you will learn journalism firsthand. You will gain more experience, build your credibility and expand your network.

Fourth, try your hand at similar media that are keen on China and offer Chinese content, such as The New York Times, or Financial Times. Use your Mandarin skills to get your foot in the door.

The list is by no means exhaustive, but I hope it gives you some idea of how to approach the issue.

Good luck!

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