Science Reporter

Science Reporter does the routine job work described here and this page holds 18 real tasks for training. The guidance focuses on common standards and what managers expect. Each one shows where we found it, and comes with an AI prompt you can copy and use straight away.

18evidenced tasks
18ready prompts
4tools of the trade
27-3023.00O*NET-SOC code
39,250hold this job (US, BLS 2025)
$62,200median pay/yr (US)
Open Science Reporter in the interactive atlas →

What it pays

Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.

Half of all News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists in the U.S. earn more than $62,200 a year — the middle 80% land between $36,240 and $144,140. About 39,250 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$62,200typical pay / year
39,250people in this work
$144,140+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
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The work, task by task

These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.

Keeping the record4

Write news stories or articles

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Draft a 600–800 word front-page science news story about the university lab’s CRISPR findings, quote Dr.…
Draft a 600–800 word front-page science news story about the university lab’s CRISPR findings, quote Dr. Maria Gomez and the grant letter, verify jargon with the editor and file by 5pm for copyedit.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsO*NET

Photograph or videotape news events.

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Shoot a two-minute on-the-scene video and 10 high-res stills of the laboratory demonstration, capture ambient…
Shoot a two-minute on-the-scene video and 10 high-res stills of the laboratory demonstration, capture ambient sound and B-roll of equipment, transfer the rushes and tag key clips for the producer within three hours.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsO*NET

Write online blogs or commentary on news events

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Post a 400–600 word analysis on the paper’s implications for public health, link to the journal, include two…
Post a 400–600 word analysis on the paper’s implications for public health, link to the journal, include two expert quotes and a clear takeaway paragraph, then schedule it to publish at 7:30am tomorrow.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptionsO*NET

Research background information for stories

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Compile background notes on the study: three prior papers, the funder’s statement, and two independent…
Compile background notes on the study: three prior papers, the funder’s statement, and two independent critiques, assemble a one-page source file with links and timestamps for the reporter pack by 3pm.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
Coordinate1

Coordinate with editors and news directors

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Email the assignment editor and news director my midday rundown with three story angles, available sources…
Email the assignment editor and news director my midday rundown with three story angles, available sources and a worst-case timing plan, ask for the final lead and a noon call to confirm.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET
Analysing1

Conduct interviews with sources

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Arrange and conduct a recorded 20–30 minute interview with Dr. Aisha Khan this afternoon, send her the…
Arrange and conduct a recorded 20–30 minute interview with Dr. Aisha Khan this afternoon, send her the topical questions in advance, confirm on-the-record status and deliver a verbatim transcript within 24 hours.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET
The daily work12

Select pertinent material for presentation

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Choose the ten strongest visuals and three short read-aloud paragraphs from the briefing folder that best…
Choose the ten strongest visuals and three short read-aloud paragraphs from the briefing folder that best explain tonight’s panel on CRISPR risks and benefits, sequence them for a five-minute slot, and flag any missing data or interview clips before 3pm today.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointjob descriptionsO*NET

Transmit news reports from remote locations

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Prepare and send the live feed package from the field: assemble two standby scripts, the location shots list,…
Prepare and send the live feed package from the field: assemble two standby scripts, the location shots list, and the transmission checklist, then confirm satellite window and call time with control by 18:00 today.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET

Report on specialized fields such as medicine, green technology, environmental issues, science, politics, sports, arts, consumer affairs, business, religion, crime, or education.

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Draft a two-paragraph explainer on the new vaccine trial for the website, include a reader-facing Q&A…
Draft a two-paragraph explainer on the new vaccine trial for the website, include a reader-facing Q&A paragraph, then collect three audience email questions and schedule a follow-up live Q&A next Tuesday evening.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET

Communicate with readers, viewers, advertisers, or the general public via mail, email, or telephone.

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Reply to the advertiser and three reader emails about this week’s climate series, summarise their concerns in…
Reply to the advertiser and three reader emails about this week’s climate series, summarise their concerns in one paragraph for the editor, and log the phone call outcome with the campaign manager before end of day.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookO*NET

Develop story ideas or angles

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Pull five fresh story angles from my notes and last month’s research files on renewable batteries, write…
Pull five fresh story angles from my notes and last month’s research files on renewable batteries, write three-sentence pitches for each with suggested sources and urgency, then send them to the editor by 10am Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions

Adapt to changing situations

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Rewrite the stand-by copy for tonight’s field brief so it reads naturally if the data or source quotes…
Rewrite the stand-by copy for tonight’s field brief so it reads naturally if the data or source quotes change, flag any figures above or below expected ranges, and prepare a one-paragraph live intro I can memorise in case the lab withdraws access.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeESCOsee the evidence ↗

Gather information through observation or investigation

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Spend the morning at the university lab, observe the gene-editing trials, take detailed notes on methodology…
Spend the morning at the university lab, observe the gene-editing trials, take detailed notes on methodology and unexpected results, photograph key equipment, and file a 700-word field memo for the desk by 5pm with sources and verbatim quotes.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions

Update stories as new information emerges

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Monitor the hospital study data and the lead researcher’s messages, verify any new findings, update the…
Monitor the hospital study data and the lead researcher’s messages, verify any new findings, update the online story with corrected figures and a fresh researcher quote, and flag the editor if the conclusion changes before 3pm.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions

Create scripts for broadcast

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Draft a three-minute broadcast script about the climate lab’s latest carbon sequestration result, open with…
Draft a three-minute broadcast script about the climate lab’s latest carbon sequestration result, open with the human impact line, weave in two short scientist quotes, time the piece to 180 seconds and deliver to the producer by noon for rehearsal.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions

Transcribe or record interviews and narratives

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Transcribe the 42-minute interview with Dr. Morales, mark timestamps for every new topic, clean up inaudible…
Transcribe the 42-minute interview with Dr. Morales, mark timestamps for every new topic, clean up inaudible passages with notes for review, and deliver the annotated transcript and audio file to the fact-checker by end of day.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Officejob descriptions

Introduce pre-recorded news items

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Record a 90-second introduction to the pre-recorded climate package, write three short linking lines that set…
Record a 90-second introduction to the pre-recorded climate package, write three short linking lines that set context and pose one question for viewers, rehearse until natural, and upload the voice file to the producer by 4pm.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeESCO

Read pre-drafted texts

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Read the pre-drafted copy for tomorrow’s science bulletin aloud twice, correct any awkward phrasing or…
Read the pre-drafted copy for tomorrow’s science bulletin aloud twice, correct any awkward phrasing or factual slips, time each read to fit the one-minute slot, and return the revised script to the editor before tonight’s bulletin meeting.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeESCOsee the evidence ↗

Says who?

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The logs, files & records this job keeps

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Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.

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