News Reporter Resume Examples and Tips

News reporters are responsible for updating the public on current and important events. This position’s duties usually include collecting, analyzing and verifying information, editing and writing articles, conducting interviews, and presenting the news through different forms of media, including television and the internet. To excel in this profession, you should have excellent reporting skills, interpersonal abilities, and exceptional verbal and writing skills.

Create a resume that hits all the right beats for a news reporter job by using these expert tips and our resume examples:

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News Reporter Resume Example

Top 4 Characteristics of a Best-in-Class News Reporter Resume

  1. Summary In a few crisp sentences, your summary statement should highlight strengths and work experience that match up with the job description. For example, if the job emphasizes using social platforms to share content, you could write: “Creative and hardworking news reporter with five years’ experience in developing stories and disseminating them using social media.”
  2. Skills Break this section into categories: professional skills, such as knowledge of content management systems and video platforms, or knowledge of specialized subjects (e.g., sports, or city hall politics), and soft skills such as excellent communication, time management or decision-making.
  3. Work History Rather than listing all your daily responsibilities in previous jobs, focus on work accomplishments that communicate your versatility and experience. For example: “Reported on a variety of topics for evening newscasts, including parenting, local crime and human interest stories.”
  4. Education Include your top academic achievement (e.g., bachelor’s or associate degree in journalism or mass communication), along with any additional certifications or coursework in related areas, such as a Graduate Certificate in Broadcast Journalism.

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Find the Right Template for your Resume

Focus on your resume content and leave your resume design to us — just use one of these professionally designed templates:

Cool

This template gives your resume a colorful yet professional look, thanks to its clean lines and readable resume fonts. The two-column design leaves you plenty of room to expand on your skills and work history.

Knowledgeable

This organized design uses shaded headings for easy navigation, while the large, elegant font for the job seeker’s name adds a classy touch.

Charismatic

The mix of color fonts for this layout’s header creates a unique look, while thin lines organize each section efficiently, without the need for heavy graphics.

For more options, choose from our complete assortment of free resume templates.

Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume

  • DO proofread your resume before submitting it. In news reporting, a good editing eye is critical — and the same goes for your resume. Review your document a few times before you send it in, making sure it’s free of grammatical mistakes or spelling mistakes. This is also your chance to confirm that the information you’ve included is correct and accurate. If you use our Resume Builder to create your resume, our built-in tools will scan your document for these issues.
  • DO include vital soft skills in your resume. Soft skills are just as important as professional skills when it comes to reporting. Feature traits such as strong attention to detail, a professional demeanor and delivery, a strong work ethic, and the ability to perform well in a fast-paced environment. Use your summary and work experience sections to give examples of how you’ve used these skills (e.g., “Generated and produced seven news stories a week in fast-paced radio environment”).
  • DO quantify your achievements. Using numbers and stats to describe your achievements sets you apart from other job candidates, and also gives employers a better idea of how effective you can be. For example: “Conducted 15+ live interviews a week of city government officials” or “Published 7+ stories and feature articles a week on deadline for news website with 500,000-member subscription base.”
  • DON’T make your resume too long. Since most hiring managers spend only a few seconds reviewing a resume, keep yours concise and brief — two pages at most. Avoid unnecessary details, and concentrate on achievements and skills that fit what the potential job needs. Just as with our resume examples, limit your work experience section to the last 10 years, and use punchy phrases and bullet points instead of long sentences.
  • DON’T get too fancy with your layout. Making a strong impression with your resume is understandable, but using unusual fonts and graphics isn’t the right way to go about it. Above all, your resume should be a professional document, which means that potential employers (and the software they use to scan resumes) should be able to read it without getting confused by a strange or cluttered layout. Rely on a straightforward resume template as a foundation for your resume, and focus on presenting your best strengths and credits, rather than visual flair.
  • DON’T forget to use strong action verbs. Describe your work history and achievements using powerful action words like accomplished, executed, increased, researched, conducted or published. Compared to weaker phrases like “Was responsible for,” action verbs reinforce your image as a confident, proactive reporter. For example, “Conducted interviews with sources and researched background information” comes off better than “Was responsible for interviews with sources and background research information.”