WHAT DOES A REPORTER DO?

Published: Dec 18, 2025 - The Reporter writes daily news and in-depth features on social work topics such as workforce issues, policy, regulation, and innovative practices. This role involves editing contributions from professionals in the field, maintaining relationships with regular commentators, and using social media to source stories and engage readers. The reporter also supports the broader content team, including efforts to produce events for the social work sector.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Reporter

1. Reporter Roles

  • On-Air Engagement: Engage on-air and online personality.
  • Digital Writing: Write web, text, and social media versions of news stories.
  • Video Production: Shoot and edit video and sound.
  • Live Broadcasting: Operate ENG live truck.
  • Enterprise Reporting: Responsible for enterprise news stories.
  • News Writing: Write and interpret broadcast news copy.
  • Live Reporting: Accountable for reporting live breaking news.
  • Deadline Management: Responsible for handling deadline pressure.
  • Vehicle Operation: Responsible for driving news vehicles.

2. Reporter Role Purpose

  • Content Production: Pitch, write, edit, and produce daily content for print and digital platforms.
  • Beat Development: Develop one or more beats while maintaining knowledge of broader topics.
  • Source Development: Cultivate industry sources and attend industry events, both virtual and in person, when public health measures allow.
  • Editorial Strategy: Support the editor and managing editor in strategy and content planning.
  • Analytics Tracking: Track digital analytics with a focus on identifying reader engagement trends and increasing traffic.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate with editorial team members and with colleagues in other departments, including sales, circulation, digital, and content solutions.

3. Reporter Details and Accountabilities

  • Story Pitching: Responsible for pitching enterprise stories, making contacts and breaking news.
  • Source Research: Research effectively and build relationships with newsmakers who provide updates on stories today and in the future.
  • Digital Focus: Demonstrate strong digital focus and the ability to present across multiple platforms.
  • Social Media: Post and maintain multiple social media accounts.
  • Deadline Management: Responsible for meeting all broadcast and digital deadlines and communicating any obstacles to meeting those deadlines so plans can be made.

4. Reporter Roles and Responsibilities

  • Image Capture: Capture quality imagery that aligns with editorial briefs and enhances content across all platforms.
  • Photography Principles: Understand and apply the inner workings of photography, i.e., composition, lighting, balance, tension, mood, and interest.
  • Photo Shoots: Conceptualise, plan and execute photo shoots.
  • Source Building: Build contacts that facilitate the gathering of full and balanced news content.
  • Editorial Writing: Write clean editorial copy quickly.
  • Deadline Filing: File in line with publication deadlines and requirements relevant to each platform.

5. Reporter Details

  • Beat Writing: Contribute writing and sources to a dedicated beat.
  • Expert Interviews: Interview experts and conduct in-depth research on the beat.
  • Story Ideation: Present story ideas, follow leads, and find the topics no one else is talking about.
  • Feature Writing: Write solo-authored feature articles and work collaboratively with beat team members to produce multiple-author stories.
  • Trend Monitoring: Keep a finger on the pulse of the beat in the United States and around the world.
  • Team Communication: Participate and engage with the team, keeping open lines of communication through email, Slack, and by attending regular team meetings.

6. Reporter Duties

  • News Reporting: Research, develop, write, and report news stories.
  • Video Production: Responsible for shoots and editing videos.
  • Source Maintenance: Maintain contacts within the business community and provide prompt reports on new or continuing events.
  • Promo Writing: Assist in writing effective news promos.
  • Public Representation: Make public appearances on behalf of the station.

7. Reporter Roles and Details

  • Financial Reporting: Daily hits for CCTV on the top international financial and business stories of the day.
  • Business Interviews: Weekly hits for CCTV on the featured business personnel of the week.
  • News Production: Produce news packages or feature stories for CCTV on an ad-hoc basis.
  • Translation Skills: Translate all CCTV hits and stories from Chinese to English.
  • Digital Contribution: Contribute to CNBC’s digital video and digital articles.
  • Cross-Team Coordination: Coordinate with CNBC’s digital and social media teams to provide CCTV with CNBC’s digital news packages on an ad-hoc basis.

8. Reporter Duties and Roles

  • Social Affairs Writing: Write daily news on issues relating to social work, including recruitment and retention, terms and conditions, staff wellbeing, regulation and policy.
  • Long-Form Reporting: Deliver regular longer-form pieces on key developments and good practices and innovations in social work.
  • Editorial Editing: Edit pieces from social workers, managers and expert commentators, and cultivate and maintain regular contributors.
  • Social Media Use: Actively using social media to source news and drive engagement to content from the audience.
  • Team Support: Support the wider work of the Community Care content team, including in relation to producing events for the social work sector.

9. Junior Reporter Responsibilities

  • Online News Writing: Write daily online news articles under the supervision of the news editor.
  • Story Research: Research potential articles and build knowledge to contribute to the news agenda.
  • Newsletter Production: Prepare a daily newsletter email and post content to social media.
  • Print Writing: Write articles for the print magazine.
  • Industry Networking: Attend events and grow contacts in the procurement and supply community.
  • Podcast Support: Contribute ideas and join recording sessions for the podcast.
  • Editorial Administration: Monitor the editorial email inbox, answering and forwarding queries, and undertaking admin tasks.

10. Senior TV Reporter Additional Details

  • Editorial Leadership: Set the agenda for Ad Age’s TV coverage across the newsroom, collaborating with all areas of coverage to shape how the newsroom covers this rapidly evolving sector.
  • In-Depth Reporting: Deliver a steady cadence of in-depth articles on the evolution of advertising for the streaming and connected TV landscape.
  • Breaking News: Break news and exclusives on the beat by growing a network of industry sources and developing a deep understanding of the beat.
  • Storytelling Formats: Stand up new forms of storytelling, including newsletters, video and podcasts, among others.
  • Event Planning: Plan, organize and participate in Ad Age events.

11. National Reporter Roles and Responsibilities

  • Breaking News: Break news and write dailies on a variety of topics, including issues of racial and economic inequality, housing, education, policing, health, the environment, the military, courts, and disaster response.
  • Beat Reporting: Work on a beat or maybe a general assignment.
  • Story Development: Generate original story ideas and develop fresh angles for reported pieces.
  • Source Cultivation: Cultivate sources and contacts to bring home exclusives.
  • Independent Reporting: Act as a self-starter, breaking news and pitching and reporting stories that are original, sharp, and distinct.

12. Reporter General Responsibilities

  • News Brief Writing: Write timely and informative news briefs to run in daily digital newsletters.
  • Audience Insight: Demonstrate an enterprising attitude in developing a keen understanding of ASC readership.
  • News Evaluation: Evaluate news and information for credibility and value to the reader.
  • Expert Interviews: Interview thought leaders for original reporting on the website and in print.
  • Team Collaboration: Collaborate with several team members to innovate and build the strongest content for readers.

13. Reporter Functions

  • Story Production: Reporter generates 8-10 stories per week and will work with the on-staff photographer for planning corresponding photos and video.
  • Social Media: Demonstrate effective use of social media tools (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) to source stories and drive traffic to the website and print product.
  • Editorial Accuracy: Ensure accuracy, fairness, and correct spelling in all reporting and editing duties.
  • Editorial Direction: Follow the direction and vision of the editor.
  • Deadline Compliance: Make assigned deadlines without exception.
  • Ethical Standards: Act ethically within the guidelines set by the editor.
  • Team Collaboration: Collaborate as a team player and provide assistance.

14. Assignment Reporter Overview

  • Daily Reporting: Create a minimum of one original story daily for FinLedger.com.
  • Press Rewrites: Accountable for quick rewrites of press releases and ticker coverage.
  • Fintech Sourcing: Uncover new story angles and build strong sources in the fintech industry.
  • Deadline Adherence: Meet deadlines while delivering stories that meet FinLedger’s editorial standards.
  • Professional Development: Leverage the expertise and guidance of other reporters and editors to continually grow as a journalist.