Summary

Reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts inform the public about news and events.

What they do

Reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts inform the public about news and events happening internationally, nationally, and locally. They report the news for newspapers, magazines, websites, television, and radio.

Reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts typically do the following:

Research topics and stories that an editor or news director has assigned to them
Investigate new story ideas and pitch ideas to editors
Interview people who have information, analysis, or opinions about a story or article
Write articles for newspapers, blogs, or magazines and write scripts to be read on television or radio
Review articles for accuracy and proper style and grammar
Develop relationships with experts and contacts who provide tips and leads on stories
Analyze and interpret information to increase their audiences’ understanding of the news
Update stories as new information becomes available

Reporters and correspondents, also called journalists, often work for a particular type of media organization, such as a television or radio station, newspaper, or website.

Those who work in television and radio set up and conduct interviews, which can be broadcast live or recorded for future broadcasts. These workers are often responsible for editing interviews and other recordings to create a cohesive story and for writing and recording voiceovers that provide the audience with the facts of the story. They may create multiple versions of the same story for different broadcasts or different media platforms.

Journalists for print media conduct interviews and write articles to be used in newspapers, magazines, and online publications. Because most newspapers and magazines have print and online versions, reporters typically produce content for both versions. This requires that they stay up to date with new developments of a story so that the online editions can be updated with the most current information.

Work Environment

Reporters and correspondents spend a lot of time in the field, conducting interviews and investigating stories. Many reporters spend little to no time in an office. They travel to be on location for events or to meet contacts and file stories remotely.

How to become a Reporter, Correspondent, and/or Broadcast News Analyst

Employers generally prefer to hire reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts who have a bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications along with an internship or work experience from a college radio or television station or a newspaper.

Most employers prefer workers who have a bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications. However, some employers may hire applicants who have a degree in a related subject, such as English or political science, and relevant work experience.

Bachelor’s degree programs in journalism and communications include classes in journalistic ethics and techniques for researching stories and conducting interviews. Some programs may require students to take liberal arts classes, such as history, economics, and political science, so that students are prepared to cover stories on a wide range of subjects. Students may further specialize in the type of journalism they wish to pursue, such as print, broadcast, or multimedia.

Pay

The median annual wage for reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts was $46,270 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $24,520, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $117,170.

Job Outlook

Overall employment of reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts is projected to decline 11 percent from 2019 to 2029. Declining advertising revenue in radio, newspapers, and television will negatively affect the employment growth for these occupations.

Readership and circulation of newspapers are expected to continue to decline over the next decade. In addition, television and radio stations are increasingly publishing content online and on mobile devices. As a result, news organizations may have more difficulty selling traditional forms of advertising, which is often their primary source of revenue. Some organizations will likely continue to use new forms of advertising or offer paid subscriptions, but these innovations may not make up for lost print-ad revenues.

Similar Job Titles

Anchor, General Assignment Reporter, News Director, News Reporter, Reporter, Sports Writer, Staff Writer, Television News Anchor (TV News Anchor), Television News Reporter, Television Reporter (TV Reporter), Broadcast Meteorologist, Content Director, Radio News Anchor, Radio Talk Show Host, Sports Director, Weekend Anchor

Related Occupations

Producer, Radio and Television Announcer, Copy Writer, Reporter and Correspondent, Public Relations Specialist, Editor

More Information

The trade associations listed below represent organizations made up of people (members) who work and promote advancement in the field. Members are very interested in telling others about their work and about careers in those areas. As well, trade associations provide opportunities for organizational networking and learning more about the field’s trends and directions.

American Press Institute - The American Press Institute acts as a scout on the frontier of technology and audience behavior to identify where change is occurring and helping news organizations learn how to implement and scale that change successfully so they have a sustainable future.
American Society of Business Publication Editors - ASBPE is the professional association for full-time and freelance editors, writers, art directors, and designers employed in the business, trade, and specialty press.
Asian American Journalist Association - AAJA is a non-profit educational and professional organization with more than 1,500 members across the United States and Asia. Since its founding, AAJA has been at the forefront of change in the journalism industry.
The Association of Women in Communications - AWC is the premier organization for empowering women with the strength, support, and tools for elevating your career and becoming an agent of change in the industry. Its members make up a network of like-minded women who are genuinely invested in helping you reach your potential.
Investigative Reports and Editors - Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc. is a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting. IRE was formed in 1975 to create a forum in which journalists throughout the world could help each other by sharing story ideas, newsgathering techniques and news sources. If you are a student with an interest in this field, check out the Resource Center.
National Association of Black Journalists - The NABJ is an organization of journalists, students and media-related professionals that provides quality programs and services to and advocates on behalf of Black journalists worldwide.
National Association of Broadcasters - As the premier trade association for broadcasters, NAB advances the interests of our members in federal government, industry and public affairs; improves the quality and profitability of broadcasting; encourages content and technology innovation; and spotlights the important and unique ways stations serve their communities.

Magazines and Publications

Video Transcript

On television and in print, journalists uncover facts… to report the news as objectively as possible. Reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts inform the public about events and news occurring internationally, nationally, and locally. Reporters and correspondents —or journalists— spend a lot of time in the field… meeting contacts, investigating stories, and conducting interviews so they can write or record a story. The work is often fast-paced to meet deadlines or be the first to break news. Multimedia skills are increasingly in demand, so that journalists can add audio, video and graphics to adapt stories for different platforms… including newspapers, magazines, television, live radio, websites, podcasts and social media. Some reporters freelance, covering individual stories for a fee or marketing their own stories to news organizations. Broadcast news analysts work in radio and television, sharing their opinions with their audience, based on their expertise in a particular subject, such as politics, business, or medicine. Most reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts work full time. Travel is common, and may include exposure to risks in situations such as war zones or natural disasters. Schedules change as news occurs, and may include nights and weekends. To enter the field, a bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications is preferred, along with related experience such as internships or work in college news media.

Content retrieved from: US Bureau of Labor Statistics-OOH www.bls.gov/ooh,
CareerOneStop www.careeronestop.org, O*Net Online www.onetonline.org