Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Journalist
What journalists actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a journalist?
Check police logs and city agendas for news. From there, the day usually includes find and pitch stories, interview sources, and research records and data. Hours are irregular, with evenings, weekends and breaking news.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a journalist working full time.
- Check police logs and city agendas for news.
- Pitch stories at the editorial meeting.
- Interview sources about a city budget vote.
- Review budget documents.
- Attend the city council meeting.
- Write and file the story.
- Post updates to social media.
Where journalists work
Journalists work in newsrooms, remotely and in the field, often on deadline.
Hours and schedule
Hours are irregular, with evenings, weekends and breaking news.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Find and pitch stories
- Interview sources
- Research records and data
- Verify facts
- Write and produce stories
- Shoot photos and video
- Publish across platforms
Tools you’ll use every day
- Content management systems
- Recording devices
- Cameras and smartphones
- Video editing software
- Public records databases
- Social media
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Meaningful public service
- Varied, exciting work
- Meet interesting people
- Creative storytelling
What’s hard
- Declining employment
- Deadline pressure
- Irregular hours
- Public criticism
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I’m curious about everything
- I love writing
- I can handle deadlines
- I care about truth
- I’m comfortable asking tough questions
- I want public service work
Not sure? Take the free Journalist fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Plan for safety when covering protests and disasters
- Protect confidential sources
- Verify information before publishing
- Manage stress and trauma exposure