Journalist job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 4 of 5

considerable preparation

Typical entry education

Bachelor's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$62,200

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists (O*NET-SOC 27-3023.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Report news stories for publication or broadcast, describing the background and details of events. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Gather information and develop perspectives about news subjects through research, interviews, observation, and experience. importance 4.8 of 5
3. Research a story's background information to provide complete and accurate information. importance 4.7 of 5
4. Arrange interviews with people who can provide information about a story. importance 4.7 of 5
5. Establish and maintain relationships with individuals who are credible sources of information. importance 4.6 of 5
6. Investigate breaking news developments, such as disasters, crimes, or human-interest stories. importance 4.5 of 5
7. Select material most pertinent to presentation, and organize this material into appropriate formats. importance 4.5 of 5
8. Report on specialized fields such as medicine, green technology, environmental issues, science, politics, sports, arts, consumer affairs, business, religion, crime, or education. importance 4.5 of 5
9. Review and evaluate notes taken about news events to isolate pertinent facts and details. importance 4.5 of 5
10. Receive assignments or evaluate leads or tips to develop story ideas. importance 4.4 of 5
11. Check reference materials, such as books, news files, or public records, to obtain relevant facts. importance 4.4 of 5
12. Determine a published or broadcasted story's emphasis, length, and format, organizing material accordingly. importance 4.4 of 5
13. Examine news items of local, national, and international significance to determine topics to address, or obtain assignments from editorial staff members. importance 4.4 of 5
14. Take pictures or video, and process them for inclusion in a story. importance 4.4 of 5
15. Review written, audio, or video copy, and correct errors in content, grammar, or punctuation, following prescribed editorial style and formatting guidelines. importance 4.4 of 5
16. Write commentaries, columns, or scripts, using computers. importance 4.4 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Getting Information, Processing Information, Communicating with People Outside the Organization, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events and Working with Computers.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Present live or recorded commentary via broadcast media.
• Coordinate and serve as an anchor on news broadcast programs.
• Present news stories, and introduce in-depth videotaped segments or live transmissions from on-the-scene reporters.
• Assign stories to other reporters or duties to production staff.

Knowledge areas: English Language, Communications and Media, Computers and Electronics, Telecommunications and Customer and Personal Service.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Adobe After Effects, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Facebook, IBM SPSS Statistics, WordPress. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 4 of 5 (considerable preparation). A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a journalist.

Most journalists surveyed by O*NET (84%) name a bachelor's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Journalist
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Journalist.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- Report news stories for publication or broadcast, describing the background and details of events.
- Gather information and develop perspectives about news subjects through research, interviews, observation, and experience.
- Research a story's background information to provide complete and accurate information.
- Arrange interviews with people who can provide information about a story.
- Establish and maintain relationships with individuals who are credible sources of information.
- Investigate breaking news developments, such as disasters, crimes, or human-interest stories.
- Select material most pertinent to presentation, and organize this material into appropriate formats.
- Report on specialized fields such as medicine, green technology, environmental issues, science, politics, sports, arts, consumer affairs, business, religion, crime, or education.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a bachelor's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in active listening, reading comprehension and speaking
- Working knowledge of English Language and Communications and Media
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Adobe After Effects or Adobe InDesign]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $62,200 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $29.91. BLS estimates about 39,250 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists to decline 5.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,400 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full journalist salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real journalist posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Report news stories for publication or broadcast, describing the…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only journalist work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (active listening and reading comprehension); journalist interview questions turns them into practice questions.