Reporters

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that employment for newspaper and magazine reporters and correspondents is expected to decline by 19.4 percent from 2023 through 2033 because of mergers, consolidations, and closures in the newspaper and magazine industries, as well as decreasing advertising revenue. "Declining advertising revenue in radio, newspapers, and television is expected to impact the long-term demand for these workers," according to the DOL."

Openings will be limited on big city dailies. While individual papers may enlarge their reporting staffs, little or no change is expected in the total number of these newspapers. Applicants will face strong competition for jobs on large metropolitan newspapers. Experience is a definite requirement, which rules out most new graduates unless they possess credentials in an area for which the publication has a pressing need. Occasionally, a beginner can use contacts and experience gained through internship programs and summer jobs to obtain a reporting job immediately after graduation.

Opportunities will be somewhat better for television and radio reporters with employment declining by less than 1 percent through 2033 in these sectors, but broadcasting stations in major news markets generally prefer experienced reporters. For beginning correspondents, small stations with local news broadcasts will continue to replace staff who move on to larger stations or leave the business. Network hiring has been cut drastically in the past few years and will probably continue to decline. "In addition, television and radio stations are continuing to publish content online and on mobile devices," according to the DOL. "As a result, news organizations may have difficulty selling traditional forms of advertising, which is often their primary source of revenue."

Much stronger employment growth is expected for reporters in online-only newspapers and magazines, given the increasing importance of online news sources. Those with multimedia journalism experience, including Web site design, coding, and audio and video editing, should be more attractive to any media outlet.

Overall, the prospects are best for graduates who have majored in news-editorial journalism and completed an internship while in school. The top graduates in an accredited program will have a great advantage, as will talented technical and scientific writers. Small newspapers prefer to hire beginning reporters who are acquainted with the community and are willing to help with photography and other aspects of production. Without at least a bachelor's degree in journalism, applicants will find it increasingly difficult to obtain even an entry-level position. Beginning reporters may find more opportunities through freelancing.

Those with doctorates and practical reporting experience may find teaching positions at four-year colleges and universities, while highly qualified reporters with master's degrees may obtain employment in journalism departments of community and junior colleges.