Career profile for News Reporter

What does a News Reporter do?

News Reporters narrate or write news stories, reviews, or commentary for print, broadcast, or other communications media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television.

In addition, News Reporters may collect and analyze information through interview, investigation, or observation.

What kind of tasks does a News Reporter perform regularly?

News Reporters are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Write commentaries, columns, or scripts, using computers.
Coordinate and serve as an anchor on news broadcast programs.
Examine news items of local, national, and international significance to determine topics to address, or obtain assignments from editorial staff members.
Analyze and interpret news and information received from various sources to broadcast the information.
Receive assignments or evaluate leads or tips to develop story ideas.
Research a story's background information to provide complete and accurate information.
Arrange interviews with people who can provide information about a story.
Gather information and develop perspectives about news subjects through research, interviews, observation, and experience.
Select material most pertinent to presentation, and organize this material into appropriate formats.
Present news stories, and introduce in-depth videotaped segments or live transmissions from on-the-scene reporters.
Establish and maintain relationships with individuals who are credible sources of information.
Report news stories for publication or broadcast, describing the background and details of events.
Revise work to meet editorial approval or to fit time or space requirements.
Review and evaluate notes taken about news events to isolate pertinent facts and details.
Investigate breaking news developments, such as disasters, crimes, or human-interest stories.
Review written, audio, or video copy, and correct errors in content, grammar, or punctuation, following prescribed editorial style and formatting guidelines.
Report on specialized fields such as medicine, green technology, environmental issues, science, politics, sports, arts, consumer affairs, business, religion, crime, or education.
Determine a published or broadcasted story's emphasis, length, and format, organizing material accordingly.
Transmit news stories or reporting information from remote locations, using equipment such as satellite phones, telephones, fax machines, or modems.
Check reference materials, such as books, news files, or public records, to obtain relevant facts.
Discuss issues with editors to establish priorities or positions.
Photograph or videotape news events.
Present live or recorded commentary via broadcast media.
Take pictures or video, and process them for inclusion in a story.
Conduct taped or filmed interviews or narratives.
Develop ideas or material for columns or commentaries by analyzing and interpreting news, current issues, or personal experiences.
Communicate with readers, viewers, advertisers, or the general public via mail, email, or telephone.
Write online blog entries that address news developments or offer additional information, opinions, or commentary on news events.
Assign stories to other reporters or duties to production staff.
Write columns, editorials, commentaries, or reviews that interpret events or offer opinions.

The above responsibilities are specific to News Reporters. More generally, News Reporters are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Communicating with People Outside the Organization		Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others		Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events		Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates		Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Communicating with People Outside the Organization

Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others

Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

What is a News Reporter salary?

The median salary for a News Reporter is $49,300, and the average salary is $66,000. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the News Reporter salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many News Reporters earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of News Reporters earn less than $25,510 per year, 25% earn less than $32,160, 75% earn less than $80,950, and 90% earn less than $127,370.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of News Reporters is expected to change by 6.0%, and there should be roughly 5,400 open positions for News Reporters every year.

Median annual salary: $49,300
Typical salary range: $25,510 - $127,370
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 6.0%

What personality traits are common among News Reporters?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as a News Reporter are usually higher in their Artistic, Enterprising, and Investigative interests.

News Reporters typically have very strong Artistic interests. Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Also, News Reporters typically have moderate Enterprising interests. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Lastly, News Reporters typically have moderate Investigative interests. Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as a News Reporter tend to value Achievement, Recognition, and Independence.

Most importantly, News Reporters strongly value Achievement. Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

Second, News Reporters strongly value Recognition. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious.

Lastly, News Reporters strongly value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as News Reporters must consistently demonstrate qualities such as dependability, attention to detail, and integrity.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of News Reporters, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Initiative		Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Stress Tolerance		Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Initiative

Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

Stress Tolerance

Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.

What education and training do News Reporters need?

Many News Reporters will have a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

News Reporters usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Educational degrees among News Reporters

0.8% did not complete high school or secondary school
2.6% completed high school or secondary school
7.9% completed some college coursework
3.9% earned a Associate's degree
60.0% earned a Bachelor's degree
21.3% earned a Master's degree
3.5% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by News Reporters

News Reporters may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as communications and media, law and government, or computers and electronics knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most News Reporters might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Communications and Media		Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Law and Government		Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Computers and Electronics		Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Telecommunications		Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Communications and Media

Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Law and Government

Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Computers and Electronics

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Telecommunications

Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Important Abilities needed by News Reporters

News Reporters must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, News Reporters need abilities such as speech clarity, oral expression, and oral comprehension in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for News Reporters, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Speech Clarity		The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Oral Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension		The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Written Expression		The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Speech Clarity

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Written Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Critical Skills needed by News Reporters

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

News Reporters frequently use skills like reading comprehension, active listening, and writing to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for News Reporters, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Reading Comprehension		Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Writing		Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

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