Communication skills would be a prerequisite for journalist skills, and I see the front page of Hacker News filled with discussions on communication skills every other day.

Small things like putting the executive summary on top, starting every speech/article/email with a hook that tells the user why they care, etc. If a bunch of coders could master those skills, and combine it with data analysis and web design skills, then they could become a force that can compete with the mainstream media.

Time for me to learn jQuery and create a startup.