Reporter

For the legal term, see Reporter (law)

A reporter is a type of journalist who researches and presents information in certain types of mass media. Reporting is usually distinguished from similar work, such as writing in general, by news judgment (determining newsworthiness) and journalistic values. Reporters gather their information in a variety of ways, including tips, press releases, and witnessing an event. They perform research through interviews, public records and other sources. The information-gathering part of the job is sometimes called "reporting" as distinct from the production part of the job, such as writing articles. They split their time between working in a newsroom and going out to witness events or interview people. Most reporters are assigned an area to focus on, called a "beat". They are encouraged to "cultivate sources" so they won't miss news. Reporters usually have a college degree. The degree is often in journalism, but that is not required. When hiring reporters, editors give much weight to the reporter's previous work, (such as newspaper "clips") even when written for a student newspaper or as part of an internship. One common misconception is that newspaper reporters write the headlines for their articles, but those are written by copy editors. Although their work can also often make them into minor celebrities, most reporters earn low salaries. It is not uncommon for a reporter fresh out of college working at a small newspaper in the US to make $20,000 annually or less. In order to move to larger papers, it is common for reporters to start with newspapers in small towns and move their way up the ladder. Though The New York Times has been known to hire reporters with only a few years experience, based on talent and expertise in particular areas. Many reporters also start as summer interns at large paper and then move to reporting jobs at medium sized papers. The same job prospects fall into the television reporting business, with reporters starting in small markets and moving up the larger markets and to national news programs.