Journalist
A journalist researches, investigates, and writes news stories for publication across print, digital, broadcast, or multimedia platforms in Australian media organisations. They gather information from primary and secondary sources, conduct interviews, verify facts against editorial standards, and meet publication deadlines.
What this job is
A journalist researches, investigates, and writes news stories for publication across print, digital, broadcast, or multimedia platforms in Australian media organisations. They gather information from primary and secondary sources, conduct interviews, verify facts against editorial standards, and meet publication deadlines. They may specialise in particular beats such as politics, crime, business, or health, and work to inform the public on matters of public interest whilst adhering to the Australian Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) code of conduct.
Are employers advertising this role?
Rising, up 27.3% over 5 years
Counted across a group of similar roles. These are three-month rolling averages of online job advertisements, not filled positions.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index.
Day-to-day
Conduct interviews with sources including public figures, experts, witnesses, and affected individuals to gather information for news stories. Research and verify facts using databases, archives, government records, court documents, and Freedom of Information requests. Write and edit news copy for publication across platforms including newspapers, websites, social media, and broadcast scripts. Investigate allegations and claims by cross-checking information with multiple independent sources and documenting evidence. Attend news events including press conferences, parliamentary sittings, court proceedings, and public meetings to gather first-hand information. Develop story ideas and pitch them to editors based on newsworthiness, public interest, and audience relevance. Apply legal and ethical standards including defamation law, privacy principles, contempt of court, and MEAA code of conduct to content before publication. Collaborate with photographers, videographers, and multimedia producers to integrate images, video, or graphics with written content.
Who does this now
About 7,400 people worked in this occupation across Australia at the 2021 Census.
What this role asks for
Bachelor degree or higher (ABS skill level 1)
Can employers fill these jobs
Employers hiring for this occupation were generally able to find suitable applicants in 2025. This measures how hard employers found it to fill jobs. It is not a count of jobs, and it does not say whether the occupation is growing.
Requirements
The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.
The honest hard part
The industry has shrunk dramatically. Print newsrooms have closed or downsized, and digital outlets pay less than legacy media did. Regional papers are disappearing fast, and moving into this field means accepting financial uncertainty and potential pay cuts.
Where the jobs are
Regional journalism is contracting rapidly. Remote work exists for some digital roles, but investigative and beat reporting typically requires being in or near the newsroom. The practical reality is that major metro areas dominate, and job numbers are declining across all regions.
Pay
Published for ANZSCO unit group 2124, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.
This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.
Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
Skills
- Active Listeningcore
- Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
- Attention to Detailcore
- Build contacts to maintain news flowcore
- Check correctness of informationcore
- Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
- Consult information sourcescore
- Create online news contentcore
- Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
- Digital Literacycore
- Editorial standardscore
- Follow ethical code of conduct of journalistscore
- Follow the newscore
- Interview peoplecore
- Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
- Report Writingcore
- Research and Analysiscore
- Stakeholder Communicationcore
- Time Management and Prioritisationcore
- Use specific writing techniquescore
- Verbal Communicationcore
- Write to a deadlinecore
- Written Communicationcore
- Apply grammar and spelling rules
- Continuous Learning and Upskilling
- Copyright legislation
- Develop professional network
- Electronic Document Management
- Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
- Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Drive)
- Multitasking
- Negotiation
- Participate in editorial meetings
- Press law
- Problem Solving
- Trauma-Informed Communication
- Workload Self-Management
Which of these do you have?
Tick the ones you haveCommon questions
Sources
- ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
- ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
- ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.
Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.
What Journalist workers move into, from ten years of tax records.
Last updated: 30 October 2026
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