What Kind of Journalist Should I Be

One press picks a kind of journalist to look into, with what the work involves.

What Kind of Journalist Should I Be

Show all 83
  1. Advocacy journalistAdopts a non-objective viewpoint, usually for a social or political purpose.

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How it works

Journalists split by beat, the subject they cover, and by medium, the way the story reaches people. Press the button for one kind, from data journalist to war correspondent, each with what the work involves.

Read the full guide

What type of journalist should I be?

Choose a beat or a medium. The Occupational Outlook Handbook of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics says journalists in large cities or large news organizations may cover a particular topic, such as sports, medicine or politics, while those in small cities and towns may be generalists who cover a wide range of subjects.

Try the beat before you choose it

A beat reporter builds up knowledge of one topic and goes back to the same sources day after day. Test that on a small scale: the same handbook says employers generally prefer candidates who have worked on school newspapers, radio stations or TV stations, so cover one subject there for a term.

  • Expect field work: the handbook says reporters spend a lot of time in the field and may work nights and weekends to follow breaking news.

Questions and answers

What are the different types of journalists?

By subject there are sports, science, business, political and arts journalists. By form there are investigative, data and broadcast journalists and photojournalists. The handbook also names columnists, correspondents and news anchors.

What degree do you need to be a journalist?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says news analysts, reporters and journalists typically need a bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications or a related field, such as English.

What is a multimedia journalist?

The handbook says multimedia journalists typically record, report, write and edit their own stories, and gather the audio, video or graphics that go with them, for outlets that publish on a variety of platforms.

Can a journalist be freelance?

Yes. The handbook says some journalists are self-employed and accept freelance assignments from news organizations. Freelancers are paid for individual stories, so they may work with many organizations and spend time looking for their next assignment.

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All 83 kinds of journalist

News and politics 23

  • Advocacy journalist Adopts a non-objective viewpoint, usually for a social or political purpose.
  • Beat reporter Covers one issue, sector or institution over time, with the same sources day after day.
  • Breaking news reporter Covers a story as it happens; such news can interrupt a scheduled broadcast.
  • Community journalist Gives locally oriented coverage of city neighborhoods, suburbs or small towns.
  • Correspondent Reports the news to a radio or television network from a remote location.
  • Explanatory journalist Presents ongoing news stories with more context than a news report gives.
  • Feature writer Writes non-fiction pieces that cover a single topic in detail.
  • Foreign correspondent Often lives in another country and reports about a specific region of the world.
  • Freelance journalist Is self-employed, takes assignments from news organizations and is paid per story.
  • Global journalist Reports on issues that cross national boundaries, such as climate change.
  • Interviewer Asks questions to draw facts or statements from the person interviewed.
  • Investigative journalist Investigates one topic in depth, and may spend months or years preparing a report.
  • Local reporter Covers events that matter to one locality rather than the nation or the world.
  • Long-form journalist Writes in-depth reported stories with more content than the average news report.
  • Narrative journalist Tells a news story with the literary devices of fiction.
  • Parliamentary reporter Sits in the press gallery of a parliament to observe and report speeches and events.
  • Political journalist Covers politics, above all civil governments and political power.
  • Solutions journalist Reports on the responses to social issues as well as the problems themselves.
  • Stringer Contributes writing, photos or videos as a freelancer, paid for each piece.
  • Student journalist Reports for a newspaper, magazine or station produced by students at a school or college.
  • War correspondent Covers stories first-hand from a war zone.
  • Watchdog journalist Fact-checks and interviews political and public figures to increase accountability.
  • Wire service reporter Reports for an agency that sells its news reports to newspapers and broadcasters.

Sport 5

  • Color commentator Assists the main commentator, filling in when play is not in progress.
  • Sports commentator Gives live commentary on a game or event, usually on radio or television.
  • Sports journalist Reports on sporting topics and competitions.
  • Sports photographer Photographs all types of sport; mostly a branch of photojournalism.
  • Sports radio host Hosts talk about sport on a radio format devoted to sporting events.

Science, technology and business 9

  • Agricultural journalist Covers agriculture: agribusiness, best practices and changing conditions.
  • Business journalist Tracks, records, analyzes and interprets business, economic and financial activity.
  • Environmental journalist Reports on events, trends and issues of the non-human world.
  • Medical journalist Reports medical news and features.
  • Science journalist Conveys reporting about science to the public.
  • Technology journalist Reports on the development, marketing and application of technology.
  • Trade journalist Writes for a magazine whose readers work in one trade or industry.
  • Video game journalist Reports on and discusses video games, through reveals, previews and reviews.
  • Weather presenter Presents the weather forecast daily on radio, television or internet news.

Arts and lifestyle 11

  • Art critic Analyzes, interprets and evaluates art.
  • Arts journalist Reports on and discusses the arts: visual arts, film, literature, music and theater.
  • Book reviewer Describes a book and analyzes its content, style and merit.
  • Entertainment journalist Covers popular culture and the entertainment business and its products.
  • Fashion journalist Writes about and critiques fashion events and trends.
  • Film critic Analyzes and evaluates films.
  • Food critic Writes commentary on dining experiences.
  • Lifestyle journalist Gives news and opinion on goods and services readers use in everyday life.
  • Music journalist Reports on and criticizes music: popular, classical and traditional.
  • Service journalist Gives readers useful information and advice, above all as consumers.
  • Theatre critic Writes or speaks about the performing arts, such as a play or an opera.

Data and graphics 9

  • Computer-assisted reporter Uses computers to gather and analyze the data needed to write news stories.
  • Data journalist Filters and analyzes large data sets to create or elevate a news story.
  • Drone journalist Uses drones, or unmanned aircraft systems, for journalistic purposes.
  • Editorial cartoonist Draws cartoons that carry political or social commentary.
  • Fact-checker Verifies the factual accuracy of reporting and statements, before or after publication.
  • Infographics journalist Makes graphic representations of information that present it quickly and clearly.
  • Interactive journalist Lets the audience contribute directly to the story through the web.
  • Sensor journalist Uses sensors to generate or collect data, then analyzes it to support a story.
  • Visual journalist Combines words and images to convey information.

Photo and video 9

  • Backpack journalist Works as reporter, photographer and videographer, and as editor and producer too.
  • Documentary filmmaker Makes nonfiction motion pictures intended to document reality.
  • Mobile journalist Documents, edits and shares news with small connected devices such as smartphones.
  • Multimedia journalist Records, reports, writes and edits their own stories, with the audio, video or graphics.
  • News camera operator Works the video and audio technology with which reporters gather and present news.
  • Photo essayist Presents a narrative through a series of photographs.
  • Photojournalist Uses images to tell a news story.
  • Picture editor Collects, reviews and chooses photographs for publication.
  • Video journalist Shoots, edits and often presents their own video material.

Radio and television 9

  • Assignment editor Selects, develops and plans reporting assignments at a newspaper or a station.
  • Broadcast journalist Reports news that is broadcast on radio, television and the web.
  • News anchor Leads a television or radio show that describes current events.
  • News commentator Analyzes and interprets news reports and offers opinions.
  • News director Is in charge of the news department of a broadcast station or network.
  • News producer Takes all the elements of a newscast and compiles them into a cohesive show.
  • Public affairs presenter Presents radio or television programs on politics and public policy.
  • Radio documentary maker Makes non-fiction narrative in spoken word for radio.
  • Television and radio reporter Sets up and conducts interviews, edits the recordings and records voiceovers.

Editing and opinion 8

  • City editor Runs the section of a newspaper responsible for daily news from a city.
  • Columnist Writes articles offering an opinion on a subject, often on a schedule such as once a week.
  • Copy editor Revises written material to improve its quality and readability.
  • Editor-in-chief Leads a publication's editorial side, with final responsibility for its operations.
  • Editorial writer Writes the often unsigned articles that express a publication's own opinion.
  • Managing editor Oversees production of a publication and reports to the editor-in-chief.
  • Op-ed writer Writes prose that expresses a strong, focused opinion on an issue.
  • Opinion journalist Gives their own commentary, analysis or interpretation of an issue.