Journalist onboarding at a glance

Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.

Before day one

Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
Verify required credentials: Journalism degree, Data journalism training (as applicable)
Prepare equipment and access: content management systems; recording devices; cameras and smartphones; video editing software
Assign a buddy or preceptor
Enroll the new hire in Journalist training so foundations are covered before or during week one

Week one: orient and protect

Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
Plan for safety when covering protests and disasters
Protect confidential sources
Verify information before publishing
Manage stress and trauma exposure
Shadow an experienced journalist through a full shift
Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)

Days 1–30: learn

Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.

Supervised practice: write a news story
Supervised practice: conduct an interview
Supervised practice: file a public records request
Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins

Days 31–60: contribute

Goal: handle a regular workload independently.

Find and pitch stories: independently
Interview sources: independently
Research records and data: independently
Verify facts: independently
Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
60-day check-in

Days 61–90: own

Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.

Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
Begin cross-training on a secondary task
Agree on a credential goal (for example, Journalism degree)
Discuss the career path: Intern or Reporter → Beat Reporter → Senior or Investigative Reporter
90-day review

Competency checklist

Skill or task	Trained	Observed	Signed off
Write a News Story
Conduct an Interview
File a Public Records Request
News writing
Interviewing
Fact-checking
Research and data

How to measure onboarding success

Time to first independent project
Revision rounds per project
On-time delivery rate
90-day retention

How Journalist training maps to this plan

Introduction to the Journalist Role
A Day on the Job
Essential Journalist Vocabulary
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Common Tasks, Step by Step
Tools, Equipment and Technology
Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
Skills Employers Look For
Launching Your Journalist Career
Final Knowledge Check

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Journalist Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)