Reporters, Correspondents, and Broadcast News Analysts

What Reporters, Correspondents, and Broadcast News Analysts Do

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

Work Environment

Most reporters and correspondents work for newspaper, website, or periodical publishers or in television or radio broadcasting. Broadcast news analysts mainly work in television and radio.

How to Become a Reporter, Correspondent, or Broadcast News Analyst

Employers generally prefer workers 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.

Pay

The median annual wage for reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts was $46,270 in May 2019.

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 have a negative impact on employment growth for these occupations.

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.

Duties

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.

Outlets are increasingly relying on multimedia journalists to publish content on a variety of platforms, such as a video content on the website of a daily newspaper. Multimedia journalists typically record, report, write, and edit their own stories. They also gather the audio, video, or graphics that accompany their stories.

Reporters and correspondents may need to maintain a presence on social media networking sites. Many use social media to cover live events, provide additional information for readers and viewers, promote their stations and newscasts, and engage with their audiences.

Some journalists, particularly those in large cities or large news organizations, cover a particular topic, such as sports, medicine, or politics. Journalists who work in small cities, towns, or organizations may need to cover a wider range of subjects.

Reporters who cover international news often live in another country and report news for a specific region of the world.

Some reporters—particularly those who work for print news—are self-employed and take freelance assignments from news organizations. Freelance assignments are given to writers on an as-needed basis. Because freelance reporters are paid for the individual story, they work with many organizations and often spend some of their time marketing their stories and looking for their next assignment.

Reporters also may collaborate with editors, photographers, videographers, and other journalists when working on a story.

Some people with a background as a reporter or correspondent work as postsecondary teachers and teach journalism or communications at colleges and universities.

Broadcast news analysts, also called anchors, lead news shows on television or radio. Others are news commentators, who analyze and interpret news stories and offer opinions. Some news commentators come from fields outside of journalism and have expertise in a particular subject—for example, politics, business, or medicine—and are hired on a contract basis to provide their opinion on the subjects being discussed.

Reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts held about 52,000 jobs in 2019. The largest employers of reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts were as follows:

Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers	35%
Radio and television broadcasting	32
Other information services	10

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.

Injuries and Illnesses

Working on stories about natural disasters or wars can put reporters in dangerous situations. In addition, reporters often face pressure or stress when trying to meet a deadline or cover breaking news.

Work Schedules

Most reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts work full time. Reporters may need to work additional hours or change their schedules in order to follow breaking news. Because news can happen at any time, journalists may need to work nights and weekends. Broadcast news analysts may also work nights and weekends to lead news programs or provide commentary.

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2019
Atmospheric Scientists, Including Meteorologists	Atmospheric scientists study the weather and climate.	Bachelor’s degree	$95,380
Broadcast and Sound Engineering Technicians	Broadcast and sound engineering technicians set up, operate, and maintain the electrical equipment for media programs.	See How to Become One	$45,510
Editors	Editors plan, review, and revise content for publication.	Bachelor’s degree	$61,370
Film and Video Editors and Camera Operators	Film and video editors and camera operators manipulate moving images that entertain or inform an audience.	Bachelor’s degree	$59,810
Photographers	Photographers use their technical expertise, creativity, and composition skills to produce and preserve images.	High school diploma or equivalent	$36,280
Public Relations and Fundraising Managers	Public relations managers direct the creation of materials that will enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization.	Bachelor’s degree	$116,180
Public Relations Specialists	Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent.	Bachelor’s degree	$61,150
Technical Writers	Technical writers prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides, journal articles, and other supporting documents to communicate complex and technical information more easily.	Bachelor’s degree	$72,850
Writers and Authors	Writers and authors develop written content for various types of media.	Bachelor’s degree	$63,200