What skills does a journalist need?

A journalist needs 20 essential skills including digital journalism, interview techniques, editorial standards, writing techniques, spelling. Core competencies include Communication, Sense Making, Adaptability.

Will AI replace journalist jobs?

The AI disruption score for journalist is 69/100 (high risk). Some tasks may be automated but the role will evolve rather than disappear entirely.

Public Administration & LegalLegal, social and cultural professionalsISCO 2642

journalist

Journalists research, verify and write news stories for newspapers, magazines, television and other broadcast media. They cover political, economic, cultural, social and sport events. Journalists must conform to ethical codes such as freedom of speech and right of reply, press law and editorial standards in order to bring objective information.

Do You Have the Skills for This Role?

Core competency requirements inferred from the occupation's skill profile. Take the free assessment to see how you match.

Must-Have Skills (Advanced)

CommunicationAdvanced

Sense MakingAdvanced

Supporting Skills

AdaptabilityIntermediate

Self ManagementIntermediate

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (20)

digital journalismdigital journalismThe process through which the editorial content is produced through digital media and distributed through the Internet.interview techniquesinterview techniquesThe techniques for getting information out of people by asking the right questions in the right way and to make them feel comfortable.editorial standardseditorial standardsThe guidelines on how to deal with and report on privacy, children, and death according to impartiality, and other standards.writing techniqueswriting techniquesThe different techniques to write a story such as the descriptive, persuasive, first person and other techniques.spellingspellingThe rules concerning the way words are spelled.grammargrammarThe set of structural rules governing the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language.copyright legislationcopyright legislationLegislation describing the protection of the rights of original authors over their work, and how others can use it.participate in editorial meetingsparticipate in editorial meetingsParticipate in meetings with fellow editors and journalists to discuss possible topics and to divide the tasks and workload.study topicsstudy topicsCarry out effective research on relevant topics to be able to produce summary information appropriate to different audiences. The research may involve looking at books, journals, the internet, and/or ...evaluate writings in response to feedbackevaluate writings in response to feedbackEdit and adapt work in response to comments from peers and publishers.interview peopleinterview peopleInterview people in a range of different circumstances.stay up to date with social mediastay up to date with social mediaKeep up with the trends and people on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.consult information sourcesconsult information sourcesConsult relevant information sources to find inspiration, to educate yourself on certain topics and to acquire background information.apply grammar and spelling rulesapply grammar and spelling rulesApply the rules of spelling and grammar and ensure consistency throughout texts.develop professional networkdevelop professional networkReach out to and meet up with people in a professional context. Find common ground and use your contacts for mutual benefit. Keep track of the people in your personal professional network and stay up ...follow ethical code of conduct of journalistsfollow ethical code of conduct of journalistsFollow the ethical code of conduct of journalists, such as freedom of speech, right of reply, being objective, and other rules.use specific writing techniquesuse specific writing techniquesUse writing techniques depending on the type of media, the genre, and the story.build contacts to maintain news flowbuild contacts to maintain news flowBuild contacts to maintain a flow of news, for example, police and emergency services, local council, community groups, health trusts, press officers from a variety of organisations, the general publi...write to a deadlinewrite to a deadlineSchedule and respect tight deadlines, especially for theatre, screen and radio projects.follow the newsfollow the newsFollow current events in politics, economics, social communities, cultural sectors, internationally, and in sports.

Optional (93)

literatureliteratureThe body of artistic writing characterized by beauty of expression, form, and universality of intellectual and emotional appeal.political partiespolitical partiesThe ideas and principles that political parties stand for and the politicians representing them.election lawelection lawThe regulations concerning the procedures during elections, such as voting regulations, campaign regulations, which procedures candidates must follow, how votes are counted, and other electoral proced...cultural projectscultural projectsThe purpose, organisation and management of cultural projects and related fundraising actions.musical instrumentsmusical instrumentsThe different musical instruments, their ranges, timbre, and possible combinations.food materialsfood materialsQuality and range of raw materials, half finished products and end products of a specific food sector.photographyphotographyArt and practice of creating aesthetically appealing images by recording light or electromagnetic radiation.law enforcementlaw enforcementThe different organisations involved in law enforcement, as well as the laws and regulations in law enforcement procedures.political campaigningpolitical campaigningThe procedures involved in conducting a successful political campaign, such as the specific research methods, promotional tools, liaising with the public, and other strategic aspects concerning the or...musical genresmusical genresDifferent musical styles and genres such as blues, jazz, reggae, rock, or indie.art historyart historyThe history of art and artists, the artistic trends throughout centuries and their contemporary evolutions.sport historysport historyThe background history of players and athletes and the history of sport events and games.food sciencefood scienceThe study of the physical, biological, and chemical makeup of food and the scientific concepts underlying food processing and nutrition.food hygiene rulesfood hygiene rulesThe set of national and international regulations for hygiene of foodstuffs and food safety, e.g. regulation (EC) 852/2004.types of literature genrestypes of literature genresThe different literary genres in the history of literature, their technique, tone, content and length.sports competition informationsports competition informationThe information regarding latest results, competitions and events in the sporting industry.criminal lawcriminal lawThe legal rules, constitutions and regulations applicable for the punishment of offenders.economicseconomicsEconomic principles and practices, financial and commodity markets, banking and the analysis of financial data.pronunciation techniquespronunciation techniquesThe pronunciation techniques to properly and understandably pronounce words.history of dance stylehistory of dance styleThe origins, history and development of the dance styles and forms used, including current manifestations, current practices and methods of delivery in a chosen dance style.multimedia systemsmultimedia systemsThe methods, procedures and techniques pertaining to the operation of multimedia systems, usually a combination of software and hardware, presenting various types of media such as video and audio.rhetoricrhetoricThe art of discourse that aims at improving the ability of writers and speakers to inform, persuade or motivate their audience.film studiesfilm studiesThe theoretical, historical, and critical approaches to films. This includes the narrative, artistic, cultural, economic, and political implications of cinema.sport games rulessport games rulesThe rules and regulations of sport games such as football, soccer, tennis, and others.stock marketstock marketThe market in which shares of publicly held companies are issued and traded.sporting eventssporting eventsPossess an understanding of different sporting events and conditions that can affect a result.desktop publishingdesktop publishingThe creation of documents using page layout skills on a computer. Desktop publishing software can generate layouts and produce typographic quality text and images.audio editing softwareaudio editing softwareThe various software for editing and generating audio, such as Adobe Audition, Soundforge, and Power Sound Editor.musical theorymusical theoryThe body of interrelated concepts that constitutes the theoretical background of music.tax legislationtax legislationTax legislation applicable to a specific area of specialisation, such as import tax, government tax, etc.corporate lawcorporate lawThe legal rules that govern how corporate stakeholders (such as shareholders, employees, directors, consumers, etc) interact with one another, and the responsibilities corporations have to their stake...court procedurescourt proceduresThe regulations which are in place during the investigation of a court case and during a court hearing, and of how these events occur.press lawpress lawThe laws concerning the licensing of books and the freedom of expression in all products of the media.financial jurisdictionfinancial jurisdictionFinancial rules and procedures applicable to a certain location, whose regulatory bodies decide on its jurisdiction.media and information literacymedia and information literacyThe ability to access media, to understand and critically evaluate different aspects of the media and media content and to create communications in a variety of contexts. It involves a range of cognit...provide context to news storiesprovide context to news storiesProvide substantial context to national or international news stories to explain things in more detail.ask questions at eventsask questions at eventsAttend a variety of events, such as council meetings, magistrates' court proceedings, football matches, talent contests, press conferences and ask questions.edit negativesedit negativesUse different software products and techniques to process photographic negatives and adapt the images to the desired specifications.liaise with cultural partnersliaise with cultural partnersEstablish and maintain sustainable partnerships with cultural authorities, sponsors and other cultural institutions.direct photographic workersdirect photographic workersDirect and manage the daily activities of photographic workers.analyse market financial trendsanalyse market financial trendsMonitor and forecast the tendencies of a financial market to move in a particular direction over time.speak different languagesspeak different languagesMaster foreign languages to be able to communicate in one or more foreign languages.observe new developments in foreign countriesobserve new developments in foreign countriesObserve political, economic and societal developments in the assigned country, gather and report relevant information to the relevant institution.do historical researchdo historical researchUse scientific methods to research history and culture.create online news contentcreate online news contentCreate and upload news content for e.g. websites, blogs and social media.present arguments persuasivelypresent arguments persuasivelyPresent arguments during a negotiation or debate, or in written form, in a persuasive manner in order to obtain the most support for the case the speaker or writer represents.set up photographic equipmentset up photographic equipmentChoose the best position and orientation of the camera to capture the scene, along with other necessary equipment.follow newspaper house stylefollow newspaper house styleProduce concise and accurate copy according to newspaper's house style and to strict deadlines-daily newspapers may have several each day.maintain an artistic portfoliomaintain an artistic portfolioMaintain portfolios of artistic work to show styles, interests, abilities and realisations.apply desktop publishing techniquesapply desktop publishing techniquesApply desktop publishing techniques to create page layouts and typographic quality text.check correctness of informationcheck correctness of informationCheck if the information contains factual errors, is reliable, and has news value.attend trade fairsattend trade fairsAttend exhibitions organised to enable companies in a specific sector to demonstrate their latest products and services, study the activities of their competitors, and observe recent market trends.adapt to changing situationsadapt to changing situationsChange approach to situations based on unexpected and sudden changes in people's needs and mood or in trends; shift strategies, improvise and naturally adapt to those circumstances.study culturesstudy culturesStudy and internalise a culture that is not your own to truly understand its traditions, rules, and workings.attend book fairsattend book fairsAttend fairs and events to get familiar with new book trends and to meet with authors, publishers, and others in the publishing sector.perform video editingperform video editingRearrange and edit video footage in the course of the post-production process. Edit the footage using a variety of sofware, tools, and techniques such as colour correction and effects, speed effects, ...select camera aperturesselect camera aperturesAdjust lens apertures, shutter speeds and camera focus.analyse trends in the food and beverage industriesanalyse trends in the food and beverage industriesInvestigate trends in foodstuffs related to consumers preferences. Examine key markets based on both product type and geography as well as technological improvements in the industry.attend performancesattend performancesAttend concerts, plays, and other cultural performances.proofread textproofread textRead a text thoroughly, search for, review and correct errors to ensure content is valid for publishing.manage writing administrationmanage writing administrationManage the financial and administrative side of writing including making up budgets, maintaining financial records, checking contracts, etc.adapt to type of mediaadapt to type of mediaAdapt to different types of media such as television, movies, commercials, and others. Adapt work to type of media, scale of production, budget, genres within type of media, and others.manage personal financesmanage personal financesIdentify personal financial objectives and set up a strategy to match this target in seeking support and advice when necessary.monitor political conflictsmonitor political conflictsMonitor the possibility and development of political conflicts in specific contexts, such as in or between political parties, governments, or between different countries, as well as identifying its po...show intercultural awarenessshow intercultural awarenessShow sensibility towards cultural differences by taking actions which facilitate positive interaction between international organisations, between groups or individuals of different cultures, and to p...promote one's writingspromote one's writingsTalk about one's work at events and conduct readings, speeches and book signings. Establish a network among fellow writers.use word processing softwareuse word processing softwareUse computer software applications for composition, editing, formatting, and printing of any sort of written material.record court proceduresrecord court proceduresRecord all the information necessary for proper record maintenance during court hearings, such as the people present, the case, the evidence presented, the sentence made, and other important matters w...rewrite manuscriptsrewrite manuscriptsRewrite unpublished manuscripts to correct errors and to make them more appealing to the target audience.meet deadlinesmeet deadlinesEnsure operative processes are finished at a previously agreed-upon time.perform image editingperform image editingEdit various types of images such as analogue and digital photographs or illustrations.liaise with celebritiesliaise with celebritiesLiaise with actors, musicians, writers, and other celebrities to establish a good relationship with them.ensure consistency of published articlesensure consistency of published articlesEnsure that articles are consistent with the genre and theme of the newspaper, journal or magazine.manage personal professional developmentmanage personal professional developmentTake responsibility for lifelong learning and continuous professional development. Engage in learning to support and update professional competence. Identify priority areas for professional developmen...write headlineswrite headlinesWrite titles to accompany news articles. Make sure they are to the point and inviting.critically reflect on artistic production processescritically reflect on artistic production processesCritically reflect upon processes and outcomes of the artisitc production process in order to ensure quality of experience and/or product.select photographic equipmentselect photographic equipmentSelect appropriate photographic equipment and background properties, and adapt it according to subjects, materials, and conditions.address problems criticallyaddress problems criticallyIdentify the strengths and weaknesses of various abstract, rational concepts, such as issues, opinions, and approaches related to a specific problematic situation in order to formulate solutions and a...read booksread booksRead the latest book releases and give your opinion on them.maintain photographic equipmentmaintain photographic equipmentExecute maintenance tasks to keep photographic equipment functioning properly.provide written contentprovide written contentCommunicate information in written form via digital or print media according to the needs of the target group. Structure the content according to specifications and standards. Apply grammar and spelli...edit recorded soundedit recorded soundEdit audio footage using a variety of sofware, tools, and techniques such as crossfading, speed effects, and removing unwanted noises.use photographic equipmentuse photographic equipmentUse analogue or digital camera equipment, along with a variety of accessories such as tripods, filters and lenses.rewrite articlesrewrite articlesRewrite articles to correct errors, make them more appealing to the audience, and to ensure that they fit within time and space allotments.communicate by telephonecommunicate by telephoneLiaise via telephone by making and answering calls in a timely, professional and polite manner.edit photographsedit photographsResize, enhance and retouche photographs, using airbrushing, editing software and other techniques.test photographic equipmenttest photographic equipmentTest photographic equipment, tools and accessories.document interviewsdocument interviewsRecord, write, and capture answers and information collected during interviews for processing and analysis using shorthand or technical equipment.show diplomacyshow diplomacyDeal with people in a sensitive and tactful way.follow directions of on-site directorfollow directions of on-site directorFollow the instructions of the director when covering events on location.present during live broadcastspresent during live broadcastsPresent live on political, economic, cultural, social, international or sport events, or host a live broadcast program.develop filmdevelop filmPrepare tools and developing and printing equipment. Develop and print exposed film using chemicals.write captionswrite captionsWrite captions to accompany cartoons, drawings, and photographs. These captions can be humorous or explanatory.