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News Reporting: Job Training and Education Requirements for a Career in News Reporting

Published Sep 10, 2009

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Every day, people depend on news reporters to bring them the local and world news via TV and radio broadcasting, on the Web or in print with newspapers and magazines. By gathering information and checking facts, reporters write down and summarize current events for their news stories. With a bachelor's degree in journalism, you can join the fast-paced world of News Reporting to help bring information to the masses!

News Reporting Career Summary

Reporters convey newsworthy events to an audience through television, newspapers, radio or the Internet. This requires detailed research by means of interviews with witnesses or credible experts, observation of scenes or events and investigation of documents related to the news piece. According to Career InfoNet, www.acinet.org, news reporters must be able to accomplish their work on a tight timeframe due to strict deadlines. Reporters often meet with editors, writers and other reporters around the office to communicate about news stories and the business operations of the company.

Education Required to Become a News Reporter

A Bachelor of Arts in Journalism is the required education most news reporters need. Students with other majors who have writing experience can often become reporters, especially if they hope to specialize in reporting about the subject of their major. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), www.bls.gov, notes that most employers prefer a bachelor's degree in journalism or communication. Internships with school newspapers or local news organizations are crucial to a student's education because they provide actual News Reporting experience. Coursework at the college level includes classes on English, writing, economics, history, computer science, interpersonal communication and speech.

Job Training and Certifications Required to Become a News Reporter

Reporters starting out in an entry-level job may cover easier assignments like writing obituaries or covering court proceedings and speeches. News reporters need a couple of years of job training through an internship program, an entry-level position or other work-related experience, says O*Net, www.online.onetcenter.org. Gradually, a reporter handles more difficult assignments, often choosing a specialization in a particular field like culinary reviews, movie reviews or world reporting. Certification is not required of news reporters. Instead, news reporters prove their skills through obtaining local, state, national or global awards and recognitions like the Pulitzer Prize.

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