20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You usually start by scanning emails, feeds, and calendars in Microsoft Outlook and any newsroom Slack. Morning hours are for researching background in Microsoft Word, checking filings or press releases, and pitching angles to your editor.
Afternoons are for interviews, attending briefings, recording or photographing events, then writing and editing a story in Word or PowerPoint if it's for broadcast. Late day is updating stories as new info appears and coordinating with editors before publishing.
Learn Microsoft Word and Outlook first — reporters write, edit, and send drafts constantly. Microsoft Excel helps with simple data and spreadsheets for campaign finance or voting records.
If you plan to deliver visuals, learn Adobe Photoshop for images and basic HTML for posting stories online. PowerPoint is useful for broadcast scripts or editorial meetings.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 39,250 people were employed as political journalists in 2025 with a median pay of $62,200 per year.
The lowest tenth earned about $36,240 and the top tenth about $144,140. BLS numbers cover many settings — local papers, national outlets, broadcast — so pay varies by employer and location.
Use AI to summarize long documents, generate interview question lists, or draft outlines — but always verify every fact against primary sources like speeches, filings, or official websites.
Never publish quotes or factual claims produced only by AI. Label any AI-generated content per your outlet’s policy and keep transcripts (recordings) for verification when possible.
A political journalist reports independently, gathers information from multiple sources, and selects material for presentation to the public. Your job is to check facts and hold people accountable.
A press secretary serves a single client and crafts messages for that client. Journalists use tools like interviews, observation, and public records, and coordinate with editors rather than serving one political side.
Study journalism or political science classes, practice writing news stories, and learn Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook. Build clips: cover local council meetings, write online blogs, or intern at a paper or radio station.
Learn to record and transcribe interviews, take good photos or video, and practice editing in Photoshop. Editors look for clear reporting, published clips, and reliability under deadlines.
Both matter, but if you must choose, prioritize accurate, clear writing under deadline. Editors can pair you with better sources; a missed fact can break a story.
That said, strong interviewing skills get exclusive information. Practice both: prepare questions, record interviews, transcribe them, then turn reliable quotes into tight copy in Word.