Media and Communication Workers

How to become a News Analyst, Reporter or Journalist

Official title: News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists

Also called: Anchor, Journalist, Multimedia Journalist, News Anchor, News Reporter, Reporter, Staff Writer, TV News Anchor (Television News Anchor), TV News Reporter (Television News Reporter), TV Reporter (Television Reporter)

Narrate or write news stories, reviews, or commentary for print, broadcast, or other communications media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, or television. May collect and analyze information through interview, investigation, or observation.

Main tasks

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.

How to become one

News analysts, reporters, and journalists typically need a bachelor's degree to enter the occupation. Internship or work experience on a college newspaper, radio station, or television station also may be helpful.

Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

College: Communications & Media degrees, Offered by 31 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $62,200 a year The middle half earn $45,370 to $98,450.
About 47,100 people work in this job now, and about 44,300 are projected by 2035. (-5.9%)
People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Questions people ask

How do I become a News Analyst, Reporter or Journalist?

How much does a News Analyst, Reporter or Journalist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $62,200 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $45,370 to $98,450.

Is a News Analyst, Reporter or Journalist a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 6% by 2035, from about 47,100 to about 44,300 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a News Analyst, Reporter or Journalist?

Usually. 88% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a News Analyst, Reporter or Journalist?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.