Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Journalist

🎯 Role Definition

As a Journalist you will research, investigate, write, edit and publish accurate, compelling stories that inform and engage target audiences across print, digital and broadcast channels. You will cultivate sources, verify facts, adhere to journalistic ethics and style guides, and collaborate with editors, designers, photographers and multimedia producers to deliver timely news, features and investigative pieces. This role requires strong storytelling, impeccable accuracy, deadline discipline and the ability to adapt reporting and formats to social and digital platforms for maximum audience reach.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Journalism Intern, Editorial Assistant or Content Production Intern.
Freelance Contributor or Stringer with a published portfolio.
Communications Assistant or Researcher with reporting experience.

Advancement To:

Senior Reporter / Beat Editor
Investigative Reporter or Special Projects Editor
Section Editor, Managing Editor or Bureau Chief

Lateral Moves:

Content Strategist or Audience Development Manager
Communications Officer, Press Relations or Public Affairs Specialist

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Research, pitch, and produce original news stories, features, profiles and investigative pieces that meet newsroom editorial standards and serve the publication’s target audience.
Conduct in-depth interviews with sources, experts and eyewitnesses, extracting verifiable information and building relationships that support ongoing coverage.
Verify facts, data and quotes through primary-source confirmation, public records, official documents and documented corroboration before publication.
Write clear, concise, and engaging headlines, leads and body copy tailored for print, web, mobile and broadcast formats while maintaining voice and brand consistency.
Apply the newsroom’s style guide (e.g., AP Style) and editorial policies to copy, ensuring consistent punctuation, grammar, attribution and legal compliance.
Edit and proofread own and peers’ copy for accuracy, clarity, fairness and tone; incorporate editorial feedback promptly and professionally.
Pitch and develop multi-part investigative projects and long-form narratives that require complex research, data analysis and cross-department collaboration.
Use content management systems (CMS) to upload stories, format content, add metadata, embed multimedia elements and optimize content for search and social distribution.
Produce multimedia content—photo, audio, video and data visualizations—to enhance storytelling and increase audience engagement on digital platforms.
Monitor local, regional and national news developments in assigned beats, maintain an editorial calendar and ensure timely coverage of breaking news and scheduled events.
Build and maintain a diverse network of sources across government, business, nonprofit and community sectors to report on trends, policy and impact.
Submit and manage public records requests (FOIA or equivalent) and sift through official documents to uncover new information and evidence.
Collaborate with designers, photographers, videographers and social editors to shape integrated packages, including galleries, timelines and interactive maps.
Optimize stories for SEO and social platforms by using relevant keywords, strong lead paragraphs, descriptive metadata and shareable headlines.
Track analytics and audience feedback to refine coverage strategy, improve story angles, and increase page views, time on page and social engagement.
Manage multiple assignments and competing deadlines, prioritizing high-impact coverage while maintaining accuracy and depth.
Represent the newsroom at community events, press conferences, government hearings and public forums to expand sources and visibility.
Observe legal and ethical standards, including libel and defamation avoidance, conflicts of interest disclosure, and handling sensitive information responsibly.
Mentor junior reporters, interns and stringers through feedback, editing support and skills development to raise overall reporting quality.
Coordinate with fact-checkers and legal counsel on sensitive or potentially litigious stories to mitigate risk and ensure editorial integrity.
Translate complex data, policy documents and technical information into accessible narratives readers can understand and act upon.
Develop and maintain multimedia and mobile-first story templates to accelerate production workflows for breaking news and planned features.

Secondary Functions

Assist with editorial planning, weekly news meetings and collaborative story development sessions to align coverage with editorial priorities.
Support special projects and cross-platform initiatives, such as newsletters, podcasts, live events and branded content partnerships when newsroom needs arise.
Contribute to social media strategy by posting stories, engaging followers, and using platform features (threads, reels, live coverage) to expand reach.
Provide copy and context for push notifications, newsletters and headline testing programs to maximize open and click-through rates.
Participate in professional development, training sessions and newsroom workshops on investigative techniques, data literacy, multimedia production and ethics.
Help maintain contact databases, source logs and documentation of interviews and records for institutional memory and legal compliance.
Assist marketing and audience teams with promotional copy and cross-promotion for high-impact investigative or feature packages.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Newswriting and editing for print, web and broadcast; mastery of AP style and headline writing best practices.
Investigative reporting techniques, including source development, public-records research and document analysis.
Strong interviewing skills and the ability to elicit useful, verifiable information from varied interview subjects.
Multimedia production skills: basic photo composition, audio recording, video shooting and storytelling for digital platforms.
Content Management System (CMS) proficiency (e.g., WordPress, Drupal, Brightspot) for publishing and formatting articles.
SEO for news and feature content: keyword research, metadata, schema and on-page optimization to increase discoverability.
Data journalism fundamentals: cleaning and analyzing datasets, producing charts and maps, and explaining data-driven findings.
Familiarity with digital analytics tools (Google Analytics, Chartbeat, Parse.ly) to interpret audience behavior and optimize content.
Social media content creation and platform management (Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn) for distribution and engagement.
Experience with audio and video editing tools (Adobe Premiere Pro, Audition, Final Cut Pro, Audacity) for producing multimedia assets.
Knowledge of media law basics, libel/defamation principles and newsroom legal best practices; ability to consult with legal counsel.
Experience with FOIA/public-records request processes and government databases relevant to investigative reporting.

Soft Skills

Exceptional curiosity and intellectual initiative to pursue difficult stories and ask probing follow-up questions.
Strong ethical judgment and integrity, with respect for source confidentiality and transparent reporting practices.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to tell complex stories in accessible language.
Deadline-driven time management and organization to juggle multiple assignments under tight time pressure.
Critical thinking and analytical reasoning for evaluating conflicting information and identifying reliable evidence.
Adaptability and resilience in fast-changing news environments and when reporting in stressful or challenging situations.
Collaborative team player who can partner with editors, designers and producers to execute multi-format stories.
Attention to detail and meticulousness in fact-checking, attribution and citation to maintain credibility.
Creative storytelling and narrative structuring to craft compelling features and multimedia packages.
Cultural sensitivity and the ability to cover diverse communities with respect, fairness and nuance.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Communications, English, Political Science or a related field OR equivalent professional reporting experience and portfolio.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Journalism, Investigative Reporting, Data Journalism or equivalent specialized training/certification (e.g., NICAR, investigative fellowships).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Journalism and Mass Communication
English, Creative Writing or Literature
Political Science, Public Policy or International Relations
Data Science or Statistics (for data journalism roles)
Multimedia Production or Broadcast Journalism

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

0–3 years for entry-level reporter roles; 3–7 years for mid-level reporters; 7+ years for senior or investigative reporter positions.

Preferred:

2–5 years of newsroom reporting experience for mid-level roles; demonstrated portfolio of published work across digital and print platforms.
Proven experience in investigative reporting, public-records work, or multimedia storytelling is strongly preferred for senior and specialized positions.