20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You start by checking email and the news desk schedule in Microsoft Outlook and any story updates in a shared Excel or Word file. Mornings often mean assigning reporters, booking photographers or videographers, and coordinating with editors on story angles.
Afternoons usually involve reviewing and editing incoming copy for accuracy and style, helping prepare scripts or pre-recorded items, and updating stories as new information arrives. Evenings can include transmitting reports from remote locations or responding to viewer emails and calls.
Expect Microsoft Office every day: Outlook for scheduling and email, Excel for tracking story lists and budgets, Word for scripts and articles, and PowerPoint for presentations to the team. Use Adobe Photoshop to crop or color-correct images, and simple video apps to trim clips.
You might also use transcription tools to turn interviews into text, but the base systems named by the newsroom are Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Photoshop.
Reporters focus on gathering facts, conducting interviews, and writing stories. Producers plan broadcast sequences and oversee on-air flow. A newsroom coordinator sits between those roles: you schedule people, select which material gets presented, make sure copy is edited, and communicate across the newsroom.
You still may write or transcribe and sometimes go on assignment, but your core is organizing people and content so reporters and producers can do their jobs smoothly.
AI can speed tasks like transcribing interviews, generating initial story outlines, or suggesting headlines, but always verify. Use AI to draft a script or summarize a long interview, then check facts, quotes, and tone against original sources before publishing.
Never rely on AI for final editing or accuracy. Keep records of original interviews and use approved systems—Word, Outlook, Excel—so editors can track changes and sources.
Strong organisation, clear written and verbal communication, and quick editing ability are essential. You must edit for accuracy and style, coordinate with editors and directors, and update stories as new facts arrive—so speed and attention to detail matter.
Comfort with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and basic image editing in Photoshop helps from day one. Being calm under changing situations and knowing how to prioritize stories will set you apart.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 39,250 employed in this occupation in 2025. The median pay was $62,200 per year, the lowest tenth earned about $36,240, and the top tenth earned about $144,140 per year (BLS 2025).
Actual pay depends on outlet size, city, experience, and whether you work in broadcast or digital news, but these BLS numbers give the general U.S. range.
Practice writing short news stories and blog posts, learn Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe Photoshop basics, and record or transcribe mock interviews to build a portfolio. Volunteer for your school paper, radio, or local community coverage.
Take one or two online courses in journalism basics and media law, and shadow a local newsroom if possible. Show concrete examples: a few published pieces, sample schedules in Excel, and edited photos to prove you can do the tasks.