Did You Know?
A "freelance" journalist doesn't work for one company. They pitch stories to newspapers, websites, radio stations, and magazines, choosing what they cover and who they work with.
The Numbers Behind the Career
The median salary in the U.S. for journalists in 2024 was $60,280.
About 4,100 openings for journalists are anticipated annually through 2030.
Over 49,000 journalists are active across the United States.
Where This Career Is Headed
Journalism is being reshaped by forces that simultaneously expand its possibilities and threaten its foundations. AI is automating routine reporting, diverting audiences away from news websites through search summaries, and enabling deepfakes that make it harder to distinguish real reporting from fabrication. At the same time, newsletters, podcasts, video, and data-driven storytelling are creating new paths for journalists who can build direct relationships with audiences. The journalists entering this field over the next decade will need to combine traditional reporting skills with technological fluency, entrepreneurial thinking, and an ability to earn public trust in an information environment more contested than at any point in modern history.
Data journalism and investigative technology: Journalists who can analyze large datasets, use visualization tools, and apply computational research methods are uncovering stories that would have been impossible to report a generation ago. As AI-powered research tools become more sophisticated, journalists with these skills will produce the kind of high-impact, evidence-based reporting that distinguishes professional journalism from opinion and commentary.
Independent and creator-driven journalism: Platforms like Substack, YouTube, and podcast networks are enabling journalists to build direct subscriber relationships and earn revenue without depending on a traditional newsroom employer. Journalists who develop a distinctive voice, cultivate a loyal audience, and learn to manage the business side of independent publishing will have career options and creative freedom that did not exist a decade ago.
Multimedia and immersive storytelling: Audiences are increasingly consuming news through video, audio, interactive graphics, and social-native formats rather than traditional text articles. Journalists who can report and produce across multiple formats will be the most versatile and employable professionals in a newsroom environment that rewards the ability to tell stories wherever audiences actually are.
Education & Certification
Most journalists, reporters, and broadcast news analysts begin their careers by earning a bachelor’s degree, often in journalism, communications, or a related field such as English. These degree programs usually include classes on reporting, writing, media ethics, and interviewing to help students build strong journalistic skills. Many students also gain practical experience by working on a college newspaper, radio, or TV station, or through internships with news organizations. Employers often look for this hands-on experience when hiring new reporters. While a bachelor’s degree is typical, some journalists pursue advanced degrees or continue learning new media skills as the industry evolves.
To Prepare...
Take classes that build your reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, such as advanced English and literature, history and government, and communications or journalism electives.
Participate in school clubs that expand your writing and interviewing skills, such as a school newspaper or yearbook; your comfort with public speaking, such as a broadcast or media club, drama or theater productions; or your leadership and communication skills through student government, debate club, or current events club.
Explore internship opportunities with newspaper or digital news organizations, broadcast journalism, school or college media, magazines, investigative research, or with communications and public media organizations.
Spotlight: Explore the Life of a Journalist
Explore more resources for a future Journalist
The Daring Nellie Bly: America's Star Reporter
Bonnie Christensen
Why We Picked It
Career Connection
Bly proved that one determined reporter could change public policy and reform institutions through persistent, well-documented investigative work — the same impact journalism strives for today.
Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells
Michelle Duster
Why We Picked It
Career Connection
Investigative journalists expose wrongdoing and hold powerful institutions accountable, and Wells pioneered that same fearless, evidence-based reporting that defines the profession's highest purpose.
Digital Voice Recorder
Why We Picked It
Career Connection
Journalists use voice recorders to capture interviews accurately and review quotes, and this recorder introduces kids to the same primary-source documentation tool that professional reporters carry on every assignment.