18 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.
You’ll start by scanning email, newsroom Slack or Microsoft Outlook for overnight tips and assignment changes. Editors may assign a beat story, a follow-up, or a live update that afternoon.
You research with background sources, call or interview experts, write a 500–1,200 word story in Microsoft Word or an online CMS, and send photos or video files. Expect to rewrite for editing, post to a website, and update the story as new facts come in.
Learn Microsoft Office: Word for drafts, Excel to organize data (spreadsheets of sources or study results), and PowerPoint if you make briefing slides for editors. Microsoft Outlook is the common email/calendar tool in newsrooms.
Also learn your outlet’s CMS (content management system) and basic photo/video editors. If you can edit phone video and upload from the field, you’ll get more chances to report live.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2025, about 39,250 people worked as reporters; the median wage was $62,200 per year. The lowest tenth earned about $36,240, and the top tenth made about $144,140. These numbers come from BLS data and cover all reporters, not just science specialists.
Pay varies by outlet (local paper vs national magazine), location, and experience. Freelancers earn irregularly; staff jobs usually use the BLS ranges above.
Use AI for routine tasks only: transcribing interviews, generating drafts of boilerplate background, or summarizing public reports. Always check AI output against original sources—AI can invent facts or misquote studies.
Never rely on AI for quotes, statistics, or interpretation without verifying with the paper, the journal, or a human expert. Keep records of interviews and sources; treat AI as an assistant, not a source.
They overlap in subject matter but have different goals. Scientists design experiments and produce data. Science reporters explain the results, context, and public significance to readers using interviews and existing papers.
Reporters prioritize clarity, timing, and fact-checking. You won’t run labs, but you must read methods and statistics enough to spot obvious flaws and know which experts to call.
Curiosity plus source judgment. A great reporter asks sharper questions and knows which expert to trust—statistician, clinician, or lab leader—based on the paper’s methods and conflicts of interest.
That skill combines ability to read methods (statistical tests, sample sizes), phone calls that expose limits, and speed in turning those insights into clear copy editors can use.