How to Become a News Reporter or Editor

What can you do with a liberal arts degree? Become a writer! You can free lance for magazines, become a reporter, or edit a newspaper. What can you expect from jobs like these? I hope to be an editor so we'll start with that.
Editor

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, the outlook for most writing and editing jobs is expected to be competitive because many people are attracted to the occupation.

What do editors do?
- examine proposals
- select material for publication or broadcast
- review and revise a writer's work for publication

The handbook also says that major newspapers usually employ several types of editors. The executive editor oversees assistant editors, who have responsibility for particular subjects, such as local news, international news, feature stories, or sports.

Copyeditors, which are like assistants to the editor, are often entry level positions. What do they do?
- review copy for errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling
- check the copy for readability, style, and agreement with editorial policy
- suggest revisions, such as changing words and rearranging sentences, to improve clarity or accuracy

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that editors earned an annual salary of about $51,750 in 2005.
In a 2003 survey of publishers, Abbott, Langer & Associates found that the median compensation for copy editors was $48,748.

Freelance Writers

What are they?
Freelance writers sell their work to publishers. Sometimes, they contract with publishers to write a book or an article. Freelance writers are not permanent employees and do not recieve salaries.

Who needs free lance writers?

Highlights Magazine
LadyBug magazine
Babybug magazine
Cricket magazine

You can also publish books as a type of free lance writing. There's a great, inexpensive site I am signed up with called lulu.com. They publish your books as you need/want them. They also have a great community/forum area as well as other resources and tips to help you. You also have your own store front type of thing they provide for you.

And here's a tip from http://www.yudkin.com
"I've written an article - how do I find someplace to publish it?"

Writing an article and then casting about for someone to publish it is not the efficient way to get published. There may in fact be no publication anywhere that can use an article with exactly that focus, length, voice, kinds of sources of information, etc. You have a much better chance of success if you send off queries before you write your article and then tailor it to the preferences of an editor who has expressed interest in seeing it or buying it.

However, if you have already written the article, out of inspiration or naivete, research appropriate markets via the library's periodical bookshelves, newsstands and the old standby, Writer's Market, available in most bookstores and libraries. Send it in to a specific editor along with a short cover letter stating what you're enclosing and who you are.

Freelance salaries can not be estimated since it depends on what type of work they submit and whether its for a book, magazine, or newspaper. AC is also a type of freelancing.

Reporters

What do they do?
- gather the facts
- write stories for print or broadcast
- investigate leads and news tips
- look at documents
- observe events at the scene
- interview people

The average yearly salary for news analysts was $63,920 in 2005, and $40,370 for reporters and correspondents, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

News analysts-also called newscasters or news anchors-examine, interpret, and broadcast news received from various sources. News anchors present news stories and introduce videotaped news or live transmissions
More information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_presenter
http://www.salary.com/careers/layouthtmls/crel_display_Cat10_Ser172_Par272.html

Interested in a journalism career?

Internships

Newsweek

New York Times

Plano Star-Courier
Spring Internship Deadline: Jan 15, 2007
Types of internships available: Reporting, Photography
Number of internship positions: 9

Erie Times-News

The Forum
Pay per week: $400
Notes: three, 10-week internships open for summer 2007. We'll hire one person for news reporting, one sports reporting and one to do copy editing/page design. Please send a cover letter, resume and 6 writing or design clips.
pbellows@forumcomm.com

The News-Times

Some of the Colleges in the United States that offer a journalism or broadcast journalism major:
(Tuition under $20,000)

Albany State University, GA
Appalachian State University, NC
Ball State University, IN
California State University: East Bay, CA
Central State University, OH
Delta State University, MS
Eastern Kentucky University, KY
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, PA
Henderson State University, AR
Lincoln University, MO
Norfolk State University, VA
Rogers State University, OK
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey: New Brunswick/Piscataway Campus, NJ
State University of New York College at Brockport, NY
Towson University, MD
University of Alaska Anchorage, AK