Journalist
What the work is
Collects and analyses facts about newsworthy events through interviews, investigations and observations, and then writes stories for publication in news media on platforms such as newspapers, radio, television, online platforms or combinations of these platforms.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Investigates and gathers information about current events through research and observation
- Analyses and verifies facts to ensure accuracy and credibility of news stories
- Writes news stories for publication or broadcast in a news medium
- Monitors news sources and stays updated on current events to identify potential news stories
- Develops ideas or material for stories, columns or commentaries by analysing and interpreting news, current issues or personal experiences
- Attends press conferences, events and other gatherings to gather information and conduct interviews
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small regional newsroom that publishes online and in print. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A story you chased for weeks finally runs and something changes because of it
- A reader stops you in the street to say your article explained what was happening
- A quiet source trusts you enough to tell you what really happened
Hard days
- A story is wrong by a detail and you have to correct it in public
- You knock on the door of someone who is having the worst week of their life
- A deadline in an hour and a key person who has stopped returning calls
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 231332, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.