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Newspaper journalist

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Newspaper journalists research and write accurate news stories, often to tight deadlines, for local, regional, or national publications, both offline and online

As a newspaper journalist, you'll be tasked with reporting on news and politics, as well as writing about sports, arts and culture, science, and business. They also cover national and local events, entertainment, and human interest stories.

In more junior roles, reporters usually write up stories allocated to them by the news desk, which they then pass to the editor before they're handed to sub-editors.

It's also possible to specialise in a particular field of journalism. For example, correspondents typically cover stories from one location, such as for a local news segment, while feature writers cover topics in greater depth, often using a more personal and subjective tone.

If you work for a smaller newspaper, you'll have to multitask and may work on layout, photography, and sub-editing, as well as writing stories and posting to social media.

Newspaper journalism is becoming increasingly multi-platform. Many publications and news sites often expect applicants to have strong videography, photography, and social media skills, alongside the ability to research and copywrite.

Responsibilities

As a newspaper journalist, your duties will include:

  • interviewing people from a range of backgrounds
  • building contacts in many areas to maintain a flow of news, such as with the police and emergency services, local councils, community groups, health trusts, press officers from different organisations, and the general public
  • seeking out and investigating stories via your contacts, press releases, and other media, including social media
  • attending press conferences and asking questions
  • attending events, such as council meetings, magistrates' court proceedings, football matches, talent contests, and protests
  • answering calls and emails on the news desk and responding to breaking news stories
  • working closely with the news team, photographers, and editors
  • recording interviews and meetings, possibly using shorthand or technical equipment
  • producing concise and accurate copy according to the newspaper's house style and to strict deadlines; daily newspapers may have several articles per day
  • writing short , 'filler' stories to entertain, as well as researching and writing longer feature articles, sometimes for subsidiary publications and supplements
  • uploading content to the newspaper's website, which will include some knowledge of Content Management Systems (CMS), such as WordPress
  • adhering to ethical guidelines set out in the Ofcom Broadcasting Code
  • live online reporting or real-time posting when covering important events.

Salary

  • Trainee reporters earn between £21,000 and £22,000, depending on whether they're working for a local, regional, or national paper.
  • With up to five years' experience, your salary can rise to an average of £32,000 to £35,000 per year.
  • As a senior newspaper journalist, with over 10 years of experience, you can expect to earn up to £40,000 or more.

Pay in this sector is notoriously low, but your salary is likely to be at the higher end of the scale if you're working for a national newspaper. Share options and bonuses, reflecting the paper's performance, may bolster salaries at senior editor level.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Newspaper journalists may be based in an office, but the hours are not necessarily the typical 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Because of the nature of breaking news and events going on around the world, flexibility is vital.

You'll frequently need to work long or unsocial hours, especially when meeting tight deadlines. This may include weekends, evenings, and bank holidays.

What to expect

  • A hybrid working pattern is common in newspaper journalism, spending two to three days in an office and the rest at home or other location. The work will also involve some travel in order to meet people or cover events, often at short notice.
  • Many journalists spend part, or all, of their career working on a freelance basis. Demand for experienced reporters and writers is high, especially for feature pieces. Young journalists often work freelance to build up experience and contacts. The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) issues a guide to freelance rates.
  • The profession is predominantly white - around 90%, according to recent figures - but efforts are being made to recruit from more diverse backgrounds, with initiatives such as the Journalism Diversity Fund.
  • Opportunities with regional newspapers exist throughout the UK, and geographical mobility is important, especially at the beginning of your career. However, many roles can be completed on a remote basis, though attendance to events may be needed, sometimes with little notice.
  • Because of the need to work long and unpredictable hours - anything up to 50 to 60 hours per week - journalists' social and working lives may become intertwined.

Qualifications

This area of work is open to graduates of any discipline, but an undergraduate degree in journalism, English, or creative writing may improve your chances. However, some editors may be more interested in graduates with a specialist degree subject, such as economics or science.

Experience and personal attributes are also considered extremely important.

Entry without a degree, HND, or foundation degree is possible, though most new entrants to newspaper journalism are graduates. Bachelor of Arts (BA) degrees in subjects such as Journalism and Media or Journalism and Communication are sought after.

Candidates with formal qualifications can choose from several pre-entry routes. This includes full-time, one-year postgraduate courses, which result in a postgraduate diploma or Masters degree. There are also fast-track, 18 to 20-week postgraduate courses.

Courses accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) are highly regarded. The NCTJ's Diploma in Journalism includes mandatory modules on reporting, essential public affairs, and media law. Students must also study at least four elective modules, which include sports journalism, video journalism for digital platforms, and broadcast journalism.

You must pass the Diploma in Journalism to sit the professional senior qualification, which demonstrates your journalistic skills. You’d be expected to take this once you'd been in relevant employment for 18 months. This is either the National Certificate Examination (NCE) or the National Qualification in Journalism (NQJ), depending on your specialism.

Entry with an HND or foundation degree is possible if you have relevant skills and experience. Some degrees in journalism are recognised by the NCTJ, including the 18-week foundation course in journalism from the PA Media Academy.

Competition for the limited graduate trainee places within large newspaper groups and national newspapers is extremely fierce. Programmes vary each year, and details may not be widely circulated, as editors rely on candidates to take the initiative to research opportunities.

Entry with a postgraduate degree is possible, especially if it's an NCTJ-accredited qualification or includes relevant work experience. Postgraduate students from subjects not related to journalism will need to gain experience and writing skills, and may need to consider a relevant pre-entry course. Search postgraduate courses in journalism.

Initiatives, such as the National Union of Journalists' George Viner Memorial Fund, support black and Asian students through the training of journalists from ethnically and socially diverse backgrounds onto NCTJ-accredited courses.

The Scott Trust Bursary Scheme, offered by The Guardian Media Group, provides a limited number of bursaries to postgraduate students each year.

Skills

You'll need to show:

  • strong written and oral communication skills, with first-rate spelling, grammar, and punctuation
  • a keen interest in news, current affairs, business, and people
  • strong contact-building and networking abilities
  • good organisation skills and the ability to prioritise and work under pressure to tight deadlines
  • an ability to grasp complex issues quickly, explaining them in simple and concise language for the general public
  • resilience, determination, flexibility, persistence, motivation, creativity, and integrity
  • a strong understanding of social media, such as for research and posting to channels
  • good videography and audio-taking skills
  • an awareness of the importance of delivering trusted, accurate, and impartial stories.

Work experience

You'll need a good record of relevant work experience, accompanied by a professional file of samples of your writing. Take every opportunity to write articles and reviews for local, free, national, or specialist publications, especially if you get a ‘byline,’ which is when your name is attached to the story. Get involved in student newspapers and try to build up a network of sources and contacts.

For work experience opportunities, keep an eye on publications and websites, which include such big names as:

You can also contact local newspapers and ask for work experience. A list of local papers can be found via the HoldtheFrontPage's listing of daily or weekly newspapers, or search News Media's database.

Lots of people are usually trying to find work experience in June and July, so be proactive and try to approach publications at other times of the year.

Don't despair at rejections; editors appreciate and respect persistence and the desire to succeed. Editorial staff are very busy people and can easily miss messages, so a follow-up email is safe etiquette in the world of newspaper journalism.

Employers

UK newspapers provide significant employment for journalists. Many titles are owned by large newsgroups at international, national, or regional level, such as:

Independent press agencies, also known as 'news wires', supply general interest or specialist news, features, or pictures to news media. There are several leading press agencies, including:

Also see the National Association of Press Agencies.

Print titles are currently struggling and, in response, many traditional publications have turned to online journalism, where news is uploaded as it happens. As such, knowledge and experience of social media is an essential part of being a journalist.

The media and internet, as well as marketing, advertising and PR sectors can also provide useful employer information.

Look for job vacancies at:

Jobs may be advertised via the head office of a regional group or by individual newspapers. Some rely solely on speculative applications to the editor and never advertise vacancies.

Get more tips on how to find a job, create a successful CV and cover letter, and prepare for interviews.

Professional development

After an initial probationary period, many trainee reporters follow basic journalism training under the terms of a contract, usually lasting up to 18 months.

All must pass preliminary examinations to be eligible to sit the NCTJ National Certificate Examination (NCE) or the National Qualification in Journalism (NQJ), depending on your specialism. These are the professional qualifications for senior newspaper journalists.

Trainees within large news media groups and national newspapers may also receive structured training in reporting, writing, proofreading, sub-editing, layout and design, and production.

Smaller newspapers may not be able to provide training opportunities to the same extent.

Courses run by the NCTJ are recognised in the industry and can lead to a variety of further qualifications, including NVQ/SVQs.

The National Union of Journalists' NUJ training also offers a range of training courses.

Career prospects

Most newspaper journalists start on local or regional publications or websites. After a few years as a general reporter, many move on to become senior or chief reporters. They may also become specialist writers, such as regional or topic-specific correspondents, or even feature writers.

Other career options include moving into management by joining a news desk, moving into production, or working on page layout and headlines as a sub-editor. Many writers go into an editing role, such as an editorial assistant.

It may also be possible to move overseas as a foreign correspondent, where knowledge of the language and culture is essential.

Career development depends on your performance and initiative. The skills learned on a local or regional newspaper, or through a training scheme, are relevant to reporting in all media, and there is more movement from newspapers to other types of journalism than vice versa.

Many senior journalists and correspondents work freelance across print, broadcast, and online journalism. Both radio and television offer newspaper journalists off-screen opportunities as researchers, writers, and production assistants. Web publishing and live reporting, in the forms of blogs or uploading news online as it happens, is increasingly important to UK publications.

Employees in news agencies can sometimes enter directly as trainees, but it's more common to start in newspapers and move to agency work. Working in this capacity can give you experience in a range of different media; agency reporters may provide tapes for local radio, features for magazines, and news items for national daily newspapers and digital media providers.

Because of the range of work available, agency opportunities can be a good stepping stone to freelance journalism. Agency work tends to suit more experienced reporters, as they usually have an extensive list of contacts who are able to fight their corner to find an exclusive angle that will make a publication want to buy their story.