What You'll Do

  • Write commentaries, columns, or scripts, using computers.
  • Coordinate and serve as an anchor on news broadcast programs.
  • Examine news items of local, national, and international significance to determine topics to address, or obtain assignments from editorial staff members.
  • Analyze and interpret news and information received from various sources to broadcast the information.
  • Receive assignments or evaluate leads or tips to develop story ideas.
  • Research a story's background information to provide complete and accurate information.
  • Arrange interviews with people who can provide information about a story.
  • Gather information and develop perspectives about news subjects through research, interviews, observation, and experience.
  • Select material most pertinent to presentation, and organize this material into appropriate formats.
  • Present news stories, and introduce in-depth videotaped segments or live transmissions from on-the-scene reporters.

Essential Skills

Active Listening 4.5/5
Reading Comprehension 4.38/5
Speaking 4.25/5
Critical Thinking 4.12/5
Writing 4.0/5
Active Learning 3.75/5
Social Perceptiveness 3.75/5
Time Management 3.62/5
Coordination 3.38/5
Complex Problem Solving 3.38/5
Monitoring 3.25/5
Persuasion 3.25/5

Career Fit Overview

Use this summary to understand the kind of profile this role rewards. It helps you judge whether this career looks like a stronger match than your current role, a nearby move worth exploring, or a broader path to compare more seriously.

Top passions

  • Artist: Creating original work and expressing ideas feels natural.
  • Analyst: Investigating problems and finding patterns keeps you engaged.
  • Leader: Taking charge and moving ideas forward motivates you.

Common styles

Integrity, Intellectual Curiosity, Adaptability, Social Orientation, Dependability

Want a personal read on fit? Take the free assessment and compare this career to your current role, nearby alternatives, and broader stronger-fit options.

Key Abilities

This career demands strong capabilities in the following areas:

Written Comprehension 4.5/5
Written Expression 4.5/5
Oral Comprehension 4.38/5
Oral Expression 4.38/5
Deductive Reasoning 4.12/5
Inductive Reasoning 4.12/5
Speech Clarity 4.0/5
Information Ordering 3.75/5

Technologies & Tools

IBM SPSS Statistics Nielsen Arianna Nielsen Marketbreaks Statistical analysis software FileMaker Pro Microsoft Access Microsoft SQL Server Online databases Statistics databases Adobe InDesign Microsoft Publisher QuarkXPress Microsoft Outlook RCS NexGen Digital ESRI ArcView Adobe Photoshop LexisNexis Snapchat Twitter Web browser software

Work Environment & Strengths

Common Strengths for This Career

  • Integrity (High importance: 4.67/5)
  • Intellectual Curiosity (High importance: 4.52/5)
  • Adaptability (High importance: 4.51/5)
  • Social Orientation (High importance: 4.51/5)
  • Dependability (High importance: 4.46/5)

Want to see how YOUR strengths align with this career?

Take Free 15-Min Assessment →

How to Become One

Most employers require a bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Some positions may also require experience through internships, co-ops, or entry-level work to strengthen your candidacy.

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Also Known As

This career is known by many different job titles across industries. Here are all the variations:

Anchor Anchorman Art Critic Basketball Commentator Blogger Book Critic Book Reviewer Breaking News Reporter Broadcast Journalist Broadcast Meteorologist Broadcast News Advisor Business Reporter Business Writer Columnist Courtroom Reporter Critic Cub Reporter Data Journalist Desk Reporter Digital Commentator Digital Producer Digital Reporter Dramatic Critic Education Reporter Environmental Journalist Fashion Journalist Film Critic Financial Writer Food Critic Food Writer General Assignment Reporter General Assignment Television News Reporter Headline Writer Information Writer Investigative Reporter Journalist Law Reporter Leg Man Magazine Journalist Magazine Writer Marine Reporter Market News Reporter Market Reporter Media Analyst Morning News Anchor Motion Picture Critic Movie Critic Multimedia Journalist Multimedia Reporter Music Critic Music Journalist News Analyst News Anchor News Commentator News Correspondent News Reporter News Writer Newspaper Columnist Newspaper Correspondent Newspaper Journalist Newspaper Reporter Newspaper Writer Political Reporter Press Writer Print Journalist Radio Commentator Radio News Writer Reporter Society Reporter Sports Analyst Sports Anchor Sports Commentator Sports Journalist Sports Reporter Sports Writer Staff Reporter Staff Writer TV Anchor (Television Anchor) TV News Anchor (Television News Anchor) TV News Reporter (Television News Reporter) TV Reporter (Television Reporter) Traffic Reporter Travel Journalist Travel Writer Weather Anchor Weekend Anchor

Career Fit FAQs

Is this career a good fit for me

This page shows the role itself. To see personal fit, use the assessment to compare your interests, motivations, and strengths against this career and against the role you are in now.

Can this help if I want to stay in my field

Yes. Many people use career pages like this to compare nearby roles in the same field and see whether they need a full switch or a better-fit version of the work they already know.

What should I compare first

Start with the daily tasks, the preparation level, and the work-style signals on this page. Then use the assessment to see whether this role looks like a stronger fit than your current role or just a different title.