jobfacts

Newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters

SOC 2020 2492

Newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters investigate and write up stories and features for broadcasting and for newspapers, magazines, news website and other periodicals.

Also calledNewspaper or magazine journalistReporterPress officerFeatures writerBroadcast journalistJournalist and broadcasterand 39 more titles
Typical full-time pay£44,5002025 Provisional
People in the job45,000across the UK
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month132↓ 31%on last year · 376th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters earn, 2025
£44,500 typical£32,500lowest 20%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less than£32,500
25%£33,400
Median£44,500
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Nearly half (46%) of newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters work for themselves. These pay figures only cover employees, so they may not reflect what self-employed newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters earn.
Typical pay by regionUK median £44,500
London!£52,700
North West!£49,800
Scotland!£36,100
South West!£29,900
Yorkshire and The Humber!£27,300
North EastNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £44,500
London£52,700 (small sample)
North West£49,800 (small sample)
Scotland£36,100 (small sample)
South West£29,900 (small sample)
Yorkshire and The Humber£27,300 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £42,000
  • 2024 £34,100
  • 2025 Provisional£44,500
↑ 5.9% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 132 jobs for newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026135
Jul 2026Not published
Jun 2026Not published
May 2026101
Apr 2026124
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 202698
Jan 2026118
Dec 202584
Nov 2025204
Oct 2025155
Sept 2025171
Aug 2025130
Jul 2025158
Jun 2025186
May 2025203
Apr 2025183
Mar 2025182
Feb 2025149
Jan 2025125
Dec 2024110
Nov 2024310
Oct 2024143
Sept 2024363
Aug 2024268
Jul 2024382
Jun 2024164
May 2024440
Apr 2024582
Mar 2024180
Feb 2024470
Jan 2024408
Dec 2023356
Nov 2023361
Oct 2023168
Sept 2023352
Aug 2023402
Jul 2023595
Jun 2023283
May 2023272
Apr 2023215
Mar 2023316
Feb 2023257
Jan 2023417
Dec 2022257
Nov 2022288
Oct 2022373
Sept 2022299
Aug 2022338
Jul 2022387
Jun 2022353
May 2022446
Apr 2022319
Mar 2022394
Feb 2022360
Jan 2022406
Dec 2021354
Nov 2021413
Oct 2021390
Sept 2021421
Aug 2021475
Jul 2021412
Jun 2021320
May 2021480
Apr 2021213
Mar 2021323
Feb 2021177
Jan 2021171
Dec 2020135
Nov 2020224
Oct 2020194
Sept 2020181
Aug 2020158
Jul 2020165
Jun 2020139
May 2020160
Apr 2020150
Mar 2020290
Feb 2020325
Jan 2020362
Dec 2019229
Nov 2019299
Oct 2019317
Sept 2019278
Aug 2019261
Jul 2019317
Jun 2019315
May 2019343
Apr 2019241
Mar 2019449
Feb 2019602
Jan 2019503
Dec 2018255
Nov 2018838
Oct 2018266
Sept 2018236
Aug 2018209
Jul 2018226
Jun 2018286
May 2018284
Apr 2018273
Mar 2018304
Feb 2018414
Jan 2018277
Dec 2017203
Nov 2017275
Oct 2017226
Sept 2017192
Aug 2017247
Jul 2017214
Jun 2017234
May 2017209
Apr 2017248
Mar 2017272
Feb 2017235
Jan 2017246
Is there a shortage of newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment; in 2024 it was not high.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthWell above usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Note: uncertainty in hours and earnings due to proportion of self employed workers.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
28%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for business, media and public service professionals, which includes newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London183
Manchester17
Glasgow City10
Birmingham8
Bristol, City of8
Reading8
Liverpool8
Cardiff7
Leeds7
Salford7
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 78 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from United States, Japan, China, ranking it 110th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
Age of newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters
3.4%!
23%!
20%!
22%!
17%!
15%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–243.4% (small sample)
25–3423% (small sample)
35–4420% (small sample)
45–5422% (small sample)
55–6417% (small sample)
65+15% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent86%
Higher education below degree–
Not published
A levels or equivalent!9.9%
GCSEs or equivalent–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent86%
Higher education below degreeNot published
A levels or equivalent9.9% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalentNot published

Main employers: artistic creation (38%), publishing of newspapers (8.1%), media representation (7.5%), publishing of journals and periodicals (6.5%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
86%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
None
none leads directly into this work
Self-employed
46%
of people in the job

Routes in

Newspaper or magazine journalist

You can get into this job through:

University

You can take a degree course as a first step towards this career. Relevant subjects include:

  • English
  • journalism
  • media and communications

Some courses are accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

Graduates of other subjects can do a postgraduate course in journalism, lasting 1 to 2 years.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

College

You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need to get a trainee journalist position or to study at a higher level. Courses include:

  • journalism
  • multimedia journalism
  • creative digital media
  • creative writing
  • English

Some colleges offer the Level 3 Certificate in Foundation Journalism and courses in shorthand, accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ).

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply for a place on an apprenticeship with a media organisation, such as:

  • Junior Journalist Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship
  • Journalist Level 6 (non-degree) Apprenticeship

These usually take between 1 and 2 years to complete.

Entry requirements

Employers will set their own entry requirements.

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start as an office assistant or trainee reporter on a local or regional newspaper, or junior feature writer for a magazine.

You'll need a minimum of five GCSE grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English, or equivalent qualifications. Many recruits have A levels or a degree.

Volunteering

There is strong competition for jobs, and you'll need to show you've got writing experience. You'll find it useful to keep examples of your published work, especially if these include your name as the author.

To build up your writing experience you can:

  • volunteer for student and community newspapers, magazines and newsletters
  • write your own blog and create an online presence on social media
  • submit articles and reviews to local papers and websites
  • contact magazines and publishers about opportunities for work shadowing, internships and work experience
Other routes

You can study for a number of professional qualifications in journalism at different levels, accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). These can be done online, part-time or through fast-track training.

The NCTJ also offer online and short courses like:

  • digital skills
  • media law
  • feature writing
  • freelancing

You may be able to get help with funding for certain NCTJ courses through the Journalism Diversity Fund.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

It'll be useful for producing online content if you can:

  • use search engine optimisation (SEO) methods
  • develop skills in basic HTML
  • get experience of using different social media platforms
Professional and industry bodies

As a journalism student you can apply for student membership of the National Union of Journalists.

Further information

You can find out more about working in journalism from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ).

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for newspaper or magazine journalist. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Broadcast journalist

You can get into this job through:

University

You could do a degree in journalism, broadcast journalism or multimedia journalism.

You could also study for a degree in another subject, then complete a postgraduate qualification in broadcast journalism.

The Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) accredits a number of courses and gives advice on what to look for.

As a graduate, you could apply to broadcasting companies who offer trainee journalist schemes. Places are limited and competition is strong.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in any subject for a postgraduate course

Apprenticeship

You may be able to apply for a Junior Journalist Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship or Journalist Level 6 (non-degree) Apprenticeship.

There is a lot of competition for places. Recruitment to the larger broadcast journalist schemes takes place at different times during the year. Check their websites regularly to find out when you can apply.

Entry requirements

To do this apprenticeship, you'll need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You could start as a production assistant, media researcher or production runner with a broadcasting company and work your way up through training and promotion.

Volunteering

Volunteering is a good way to get experience of what it's like to work in the media and can help when you apply for courses and jobs.

You could:

  • produce your own current affairs blog or podcast and create an online presence on social media
  • submit articles and reviews to news media websites
  • get involved in student broadcast productions

You might also contact organisations offering work experience opportunities, such as:

  • Community Media Association
  • Hospital Broadcasting Association
  • Channel 4
  • ITV
  • BBC
Apply directly

You can apply directly for broadcast journalist roles if you have qualifications and experience in the media. A background in print journalism is also acceptable.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

You could create an online showreel to highlight your work to potential employers.

The journalism industry is working to promote diversity through bursary schemes like the:

  • Journalism Diversity Fund
  • George Viner Memorial Fund
  • BJTC Placement Assistance Scheme
Further information

You can find out more about careers and training in the media through the Broadcast Journalism Training Council.

You can also find advice about breaking into radio broadcast journalism from The Pips.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for broadcast journalist. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • determines subject matter and undertakes research by interviewing, attending public events, seeking out records, reviewing written work, attending film and stage performances etc
  • responds to stories as they break
  • writes articles and features and submits draft manuscripts to newspaper, magazine, new website, periodical or programme editor
  • engage with the public and disseminate news stories, lifestyle and opinion pieces through social media
  • builds contacts in their field to ensure a supply of news
  • sub-edits other journalists' stories

Skills

  • apply grammar and spelling rules
  • build contacts to maintain news flow
  • consult information sources
  • develop professional network
  • evaluate writings in response to feedback
  • follow ethical code of conduct of journalists
  • follow the news
  • interview people
  • participate in editorial meetings
  • stay up to date with social media
  • study topics
  • use specific writing techniques
  • write to a deadline
  • adapt to changing situations

Knowledge

  • copyright legislation
  • editorial standards
  • grammar
  • interview techniques
  • spelling
  • writing techniques
  • art history
  • audio editing software

Suits people who like

  • Creating and designing
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for business, media and public service professionals, a group of 32 jobs that includes newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↑ 26%about 670,000 more jobs
Workers needed by 20352.1 millionincluding people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.