what are general assignment reporter

• school Campus Bookshelves
• menu_book Bookshelves
• perm_media Learning Objects
• login Login
• how_to_reg Request Instructor Account
• hub Instructor Commons

Margin Size

• Download Page (PDF)
• Download Full Book (PDF)
• Periodic Table
• Physics Constants
• Scientific Calculator
• Reference & Cite
• Tools expand_more
• Readability

selected template will load here

This action is not available.

8.1: Types of Journalism

• Last updated
• Save as PDF
• Page ID 155257

\( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

\( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)

\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

\( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\)

\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)

\( \newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\)

\( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\)

\( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\)

\( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\)

\( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\)

\( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\)

\( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorA}[1]{\vec{#1}}      % arrow\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorAt}[1]{\vec{\text{#1}}}      % arrow\)

\( \newcommand{\vectorB}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorC}[1]{\textbf{#1}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorD}[1]{\overrightarrow{#1}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectorDt}[1]{\overrightarrow{\text{#1}}} \)

\( \newcommand{\vectE}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash{\mathbf {#1}}}} \)

Introduction

Although "journalism" is a singular term, which may imply a homogeneous entity, it is helpful to think of it as an umbrella term for a number of distinct forms, practices, and genres. Put another way, journalism has many looks, can be produced in many ways, and can be about many things.

There are many ways to categorize different types of journalism. One helpful schema involves three dimensions: media vehicle , beat , and method . A single story is likely to be shaped by its categorization within each dimension. For example, you may have a television (media vehicle) segment about politics (beat) reported through a breaking news approach (method). That story would be tailored to meet the expectations (and advantages) of each of those dimensions, from its storytelling structure to the depth of the report.

Media Vehicle

There are a number of different media vehicles that can be used for conveying journalism. These include text-oriented (e.g., newspapers or online articles), audio-oriented (e.g., radio or podcasts), and visual-oriented (e.g., television or photography).

The media vehicle matters because it offers certain technical affordances (possibilities and limitations). For example, photojournalism relies primarily on still photographs to convey the essence of a development or issue. A photojournalist may need to capture multiple facets of a complex issue through a single, representative photograph — perhaps a melting glacier with a skeletal polar bear in the foreground. Put another way, the photojournalist may need to aim to convey a thousand words with just one shot. (They also write accompanying photo captions, but those rarely exceed a couple of sentences.) Alternatively, the photojournalist may be tasked with producing a photo essay, wherein they piece together multiple photographs that capture different dimensions of an issue in a manner that conveys a narrative. Photojournalism shoots can involve candid, heat-of-the-moment reporting (e.g., documenting a battle in a conflict zone) as well as documenting daily life for a particular group of people (e.g., homeless veterans).

Similarly, news produced for a television newscast is likely to differ in important ways from news produced for an online news article. For example, a story about local opioid addiction rates may need to be condensed into a three-minute TV segment. That might involve just 200 words of voice-over narration on the journalist’s part. In contrast, an average article on the BBC’s website is roughly 750 words in length. (If they’re writing for The New York Times , that’s closer to 1,000 words.) The shorter length for the newscast requires the journalist to hone in on a narrower aspect of the issue, or perhaps offer a more superficial account of its many aspects. Moreover, the style of writing differs: Writing for the ear is distinctly different from writing for the eyes.

Reporting jobs are often oriented around either beat reporting or general assignment reporting .

Beats are niche categories of journalistic coverage in which individual journalists may specialize. A beat can be a topic, a person, or an institution, though they are most commonly niche topics. For example, a political journalist might cover the politics beat, the election beat, or the Kamala Harris beat — or all three. Beat reporters immerse themselves in their beats and gain specialized insights and knowledge of the key stakeholders, actors, trends, and influences within those beats over time. As they do so, they become experts in those beats, and that expertise appears in the stories they identify and cover. Moreover, by virtue of repeatedly covering the same topics or people, beat reporters tend to develop deep and specialized sourcing networks, often resulting in elevated access to some sources and exclusive information.

Beats are not just genres. They may require distinct approaches to newsgathering and involve different audience expectations for storytelling structures. Consider the film beat: It may involve a mixture of reported and objective pieces (e.g., news about the latest film Ryan Gosling has signed on to), short lifestyle features (e.g., a non-combative and abridged interview with Gosling about his morning workout routine), and subjective opinion pieces (e.g., a review of Gosling’s latest movie). By contrast, the courts beat is more likely to have inverted pyramid-style stories detailing incidents and events derived from reviews of court documents, or reports about arguments in an on-going case. (Audiences are unlikely to expect short interviews with judges about their morning case review routine.)

Common beats include business, courts and crime, education, film, food, health, international affairs, music, politics, science, sports, style, and technology. Some outlets (especially niche publications) have even more specialized beats, like Big Tech, Medicare, or Green Energy. Many journalistic outlets organize their staffs and their editorial content based on distinctions between specialized beats, meaning that they will have a reporter (or group of reporters) who occupy a particular physical space in the newsroom and publish primarily on a dedicated portion of the news product (e.g., a "Science" section) based on their beat. While many journalists focus on a single beat, some journalists may be tasked with covering multiple beats — especially during times of newsroom cutbacks.

Not all journalists are assigned to a beat, though. Some journalists' expertise lies in their ability to quickly learn new topics and make sense of them for non-specialized audiences. These journalists are often called general assignment reporters because they may be tasked with covering an entertainment story one day and a court story the next. The need to cover such a wide array of topics often comes at a cost, though: General assignment reporters are typically more likely to get facts wrong (especially with an unfamiliar topic), may struggle to offer deep coverage, and their sourcing network for a topic may be sparse or superficial. Nevertheless, many journalistic outlets will complement their beat reporters with at least one general assignment reporter in order to have a frequent and predictable stream of news stories and to help round off the outlet’s news coverage as needed.

Journalism may also be distinguished based on the approach to reporting that is used. Examples of common approaches are breaking news reporting , straight news reporting , feature reporting , enterprise reporting , investigative reporting , and advocacy reporting .

Breaking news reporting involves covering a development with a particular emphasis on timeliness. Breaking news stories depict current events, recent developments, and information that is generally just coming to light. For example, this might include a shooting outside a bar. Breaking news stories are often updated regularly as news develops and as journalists uncover new information about the sometimes ongoing event. Put another way, breaking news reporting doesn’t aim to deeply report multiple aspects of a development and package it as a single, stand-alone news product. Instead, it concedes its incompleteness and focuses on unearthing and describing the most recent developments.

Straight news reporting aims to synthesize recent developments and contextualize them into a stand-alone news product. It is similar to breaking news reporting in that it emphasizes the timely presentation of information in a clear, quick, and straight-to-the-point manner — often by using a story structure like the inverted pyramid. However, compared to breaking news reporting, there is more of an emphasis on sense-making and contextualizing information, with the expectation that a story will be more complete and not require constant updating (even if the event is still developing).

Feature reporting allows journalists to take a more creative approach to the information they present. While the newsgathering methods may be similar to those of traditional reporting, the newswriting approach is quite different. First, they are typically written with a more open-ended and less-strict story structure. Feature stories often apply creative storytelling techniques, such as playful or poetic language, narrative structures, detailed anecdotes, and multi-part vignettes. Second, because of their more open-ended writing styles and less strict relationship to timeliness, feature stories are often long-form and evergreen . Evergreen stories are not tied to a specific time peg, or timely event. They are designed to maintain their relevance to audiences for a longer period of time.

Enterprise reporting relies heavily on original reporting driven by a journalist. It is called enterprise reporting because it requires an enterprising journalist who is able to develop their own story ideas, sources, and means of gaining access to information. (The opposite of enterprise reporting would be reporting that relies primarily on press releases, press conferences, or news that is given in some way to a journalist rather than uncovered by that journalist.) Enterprise reporting often involves creative and advanced reporting methods, such as public records requests, data collection and analysis, and access to historical documents. The result is often, though not always, a longer-form and in-depth news product.

Investigative reporting is a particularly rigorous form of reporting and one of the most powerful types of journalism for advancing the public’s knowledge. Investigative reporters dedicate themselves to the sleuth-like pursuit, through a wide variety of investigative techniques, of information about a niche topic that is often difficult to access. The subjects of investigative reporting are frequently topics of deep conflict and vast public importance, such as political or corporate corruption, violence, crime, financial malfeasance, or other cases of wrongdoing and injustice. Investigative journalists dedicate weeks, months, and even years to the dogged pursuit of a specific person, entity, or topic in order to bring their subject to public light. This type of journalism is strongly associated with watchdog journalism because of the role it plays in holding powerful actors accountable. In this case, investigative journalists are the metaphorical watchdogs who seek to make the actions of the powerful transparent to their audiences. (However, watchdog journalism is a broader form of journalism that also includes traditional, day-to-day reporting on the mundane matters of governance, such as attending School Board meetings.) Investigative stories often take the shape of long-form stories (or a series of shorter stories) because of the amount of reporting and information they comprise.

Advocacy reporting is a form of reporting that distinguishes itself by formulating a clear opinion, or substantiating an existing one, with timely, factual information. This approach outwardly rejects the norm of neutrality, and instead aims to promote a cause or intervention. For example, advocacy reporting may focus on illustrating the plight of young undocumented immigrants by including anecdotes about the challenges they face, statistics about the prevalence of the issue, and offering the journalist’s evaluation of a key policy presently being considered by lawmakers. Such reporting is typically labeled as a "news analysis" or presented as an author’s column in an Opinion section. However, it may also be the approach to reporting that defines the identity of a journalistic outlet (and is therefore not segregated from the other reporting done by that outlet). Not all opinion pieces warrant the label of advocacy reporting, though. Many are better categorized as "opinion writing" if they do not follow at least some of the staple practices of journalism, like verifying information.

Hard vs. Soft News

Another way of categorizing journalism is through the distinction of "hard" and "soft" news.

Hard news journalism refers to breaking news and reports about serious or hard-hitting topics that are both timely and of civic interest. They are usually based on factual information and rigorous research. Political journalism, business journalism, and watchdog journalism are all typically recognized forms of hard news.

Soft news journalism refers to reports about predominantly lifestyle and entertainment affairs, or other topics of human interest. While such journalism may involve rigorous research, it is also more open to interpretive and literary accounts. Sports journalism, entertainment journalism, and celebrity coverage are all typically recognized forms of soft news.

Although this categorization schema is quite popular — it is not uncommon to hear those terms in the newsroom — it is also arguably over-simplistic and does a disservice to certain genres. Specifically, hard news is often used to connote a superior form of journalism, and is often talked about within the industry as being more important (and pure) than soft news. However, consider the case of a rigorously reported investigative piece unearthing corruption in a multi-billion dollar sports league, resulting in criminal prosecution of league executives. It would be a disservice to label that as soft news — with its implied inferiority — simply because it is "a sports story." Conversely, a puff piece on a politician designed to help a journalist gain access hardly warrants the label of hard journalism.

Instead, it is more fruitful to view journalism through a more nuanced typology that takes into account dimensions like the media vehicle, beat, and reporting method associated with that piece of journalism. This focuses less on a shortsighted heuristic for determining a story’s import based on its genre and instead allows us to think more about the norms and expectations associated with a journalistic form.

Key Takeaways

• One way to categorize different types of journalism is to focus on three dimensions: media vehicle, beat, and method.
• The media vehicle matters because it offers certain technical opportunities and limitations, and will have some associated norms. Most media vehicles can be sub-categorized under text-oriented, audio-oriented, and visual-oriented, but hybrid forms also exist.
• Reporting jobs are often oriented around either beat reporting or general assignment reporting. Beats refer to niche categories of coverage that journalists may specialize in.
• Journalism may also be distinguished based on the journalist’s approach to reporting. Common approaches include breaking news reporting, feature reporting, and investigative reporting.
• Journalism is also sometimes categorized under labels of "hard" news and "soft" news, with the former encompassing genres like crime and politics, and the latter genres like entertainment and sports. Although popular within the industry, this typology is arguably overly simplistic and problematic.

• Undergraduate Students
• Masters Students
• PhD/Doctoral Students
• Postdoctoral Scholars
• Faculty & Staff
• Families & Supporters
• Prospective Students
• Explore Your Interests / Self-Assessment
• Build your Network / LinkedIn
• Search for a Job / Internship
• Create a Resume / Cover Letter
• Prepare for an Interview
• Negotiate an Offer
• Prepare for Graduate School
• Find Funding Opportunities
• Prepare for the Academic Job Market
• Search for a Job or Internship
• Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations
• Arts & Entertainment
• Consulting & Financial Services
• Engineering & Technology
• Government, Law & Policy
• Hospitality
• Management & Human Resources
• Non-Profit, Social Justice & Education
• Retail & Consumer Services
• BIPOC Students & Scholars
• Current & Former Foster Youth
• Disabled Students & Scholars
• First-Generation Students & Scholars
• Formerly Incarcerated Students & Scholars
• International Students & Scholars
• LGBTQ+ Students & Scholars
• Students & Scholars with Dependents
• Transfer Students
• Undocumented Students & Scholars
• Women-Identifying Students & Scholars

Sinclair, Inc.

General assignment reporter.

• Share This: Share General Assignment Reporter on Facebook Share General Assignment Reporter on LinkedIn Share General Assignment Reporter on X

WSYX/WTTE is looking for a take-charge General Assignment Reporter whose can go beyond the headlines. We are seeking a motivated, energetic, creative, and aggressive reporter who can has a proven record bringing depth and context to storytelling. The ideal candidate should be able to develop story ideas and gather information with a multiplatform approach. Sound writing skills, a great work ethic, and a can-do attitude is a must. The best person for this job will have excellent live shot skills and thrives on breaking stories and be a self-starter. You will grow here as a storyteller as the newsroom leaders love to coach!

No day will look the same as a Reporter, however, the main responsibilities of the role will include:

• Create, shoot, write and edit meaningful stories for station’s newscast that can be used across multiple platforms
• Provide news on-air as directed from the news management team
• Engaging with local community members
• Reviewing material for fairness, accuracy, and balance
• Work closely with all members of the news team, which would include Producers, Editors, Anchors, News Directors etc..

Additionally, this person should have a…

• Proven knowledge and experience working with current media creation tools and contemporary newsroom systems
• Excel in storytelling across multiple platforms
• Strong writing and copy-editing skills are a must
• Two years of experience as a Reporter
• Must be able to work well under pressure to meet strict deadlines

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug Free Workplace!

• Nieman Foundation
• Fellowships

To promote and elevate the standards of journalism

Journalist’s Trade

June 15, 2003.

Learning To Be a Medical Journalist

‘if you already are a skilled reporter and writer, the transition to medical journalism should be relatively easy.’, thomas linden, tagged with.

T alk to 10 medical journalists and you’ll find 10 different career paths. Common to most medical reporters is a love for writing and a deep interest in medicine and science. But how does someone prepare for a career in this field, a hybrid of science and art?

It’s really the same problem that the late and great physician essayist Lewis Thomas wrote about in 1978 for The New England Journal of Medicine. Only then Thomas was talking about pre-medical students. As he noted in his essay, “How to Fix the Premedical Curriculum,” the problem with many pre-medical students (and, dare I say, many doctors) is that they don’t study enough literature, language and history. Thomas’s proposal was to study classical Greek as “the centerpiece of undergraduate education …. The capacity to read Homer’s language closely enough to sense the terrifying poetry in some of the lines could serve as a shrewd test for the qualities of mind and character needed in a physician.”

Now I’m not proposing that aspiring medical journalists study Homer, although a little poetry can go a long way in a story. The theme here is that the best way to prepare for a career in medical journalism (as Thomas proposed for medicine) is to gain an appreciation for the poetry of language. So if you are a college student and want to be a medical journalist, take courses in the humanities (English, literature, foreign languages, history) as well as basic science courses in biology, chemistry, genetics and physics. The best preparation to be a journalist—any kind of journalist—is to read voraciously and write prolifically. Subscribe to at least one newspaper (in addition to the five you follow on the Web). Read a variety of magazines. If you don’t have a pile of reading material at your bedside, ask yourself if you really want to be a journalist. Oh yes, and read books. Books about medicine and science are good, but don’t limit yourself to that field. Finally, be sure you have an English and a medical dictionary (I prefer Stedman’s) handy at all times. Words are the clay you work with, so choose them carefully.

Beyond words lies knowledge. An understanding of medical science is what separates medical journalists from general assignment reporters. “At its best, journalism mediates between the worlds of expertise and general knowledge,” Lee C. Bollinger, president of Columbia University, wrote in his 2003 Journalism Task Force Statement. “To do that well—to write for the present and to weave in broader meaning—is remarkably difficult. A necessary element is substantive knowledge, the kind of knowledge you cannot just pick up in the course of doing a story.”

What Bollinger is saying—and I agree—is that to really own the medical beat, you need to know the subject matter. You don’t need to be a scientist or a doctor, but you do need to understand how scientists think and be able to translate their jargon and their ideas into simple English.

So let’s jump ahead. You’re already a journalist, maybe a general assignment reporter with an interest in medicine and science. Or a health care provider who feels your creative energies are stifled by the tedium of daily practice. In other words, you’re thinking about becoming a medical journalist.

The first question you might ask is whether to pursue post-graduate medical journalism training. The answer is, “It depends.” If you’re a general assignment reporter with no background in the sciences, then a master’s course of study in medical journalism might make sense. If you’re in the health care field with no prior journalistic experience, then you’ll need to learn how to write for the popular media. The advantage here lies with the journalist. If you already are a skilled reporter and writer, the transition to medical journalism should be relatively easy. Enrolling in a medical journalism program makes sense if you want to use the opportunity to deepen your background in health sciences and increase your knowledge of public health.

If you’re already in the health care field and want to retool, that’s a lot more difficult, especially if you’ve had limited writing or reporting experience. If you’re a doctor or nurse and fantasize about becoming the next Larry Altman or Atul Gawande, then start writing. Take a journalism course at your local community college or university. Submit articles to your local newspaper. Or apprentice yourself to a producer or reporter at your local television station. The bottom line is that if you’re a health care provider with little reporting experience then you must develop your journalistic skills. There’s no substitute for hours spent in the field gathering information, interviewing sources, and writing good copy.

Medical Journalism Programs

RELATED ARTICLE “Medical Journalism Training” For some individuals, matriculating at a graduate-level medical journalism program is the way to go. In our master’s program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, about half of the entering students have worked as a full-time newspaper reporter or freelance magazine writer for at least one or more years after college. A few students have entered without formal journalism education or reporting experience. About half of the students have majored in a science-related field. Interestingly, I have received several inquiries from physicians who want to either switch careers or pursue a combined career in medicine and medical journalism. So far, none has applied.

If you have some writing experience and decide to pursue a post-graduate program, what should you look for? First, make sure the people who will teach you have worked in the field. Second, talk to enrolled students and ask them what they’re learning. If they don’t mention “writing” in the first few sentences, then look elsewhere. As for the course curriculum, make sure you’ll have lots of writing practice with teachers who are willing and available to critique your work. Be sure courses train you to write for a variety of media including print, broadcast (television and radio), and the Web. Inquire whether the program offers courses in public health (including epidemiology) so you’ll know how to interpret and evaluate medical studies and put research findings in context. Check out the syllabi for the medical journalism courses offered. Make sure you’ll read some of the best writers in the field—Oliver Sacks, Lewis Thomas, Randy Shilts, Jon Franklin, and Laurie Garrett, to name just a few.

If you’re broadcast-oriented, make sure your program offers courses in print journalism. If you’re print-oriented, be sure to take a broadcast course. Some of my first-year master’s students in medical television reporting were sure they wanted to be print journalists until they produced their first medical television report. Then, some of them realized the power of the broadcast media to put a “face” on their medical stories. We’re all aware of the limitations of the 90-second television package replete with eight-second sound bites and simple story lines, but don’t underestimate the poetry of good television storytelling. You can have enormous impact. A survey conducted in 1997 by Roper Starch Worldwide, Inc. for the National Health Council and PBS’s “HealthWeek” showed that Americans rate television ahead of health professionals, magazines, journals and newspapers as their principal source for most medical information.

Lastly, ask yourself if you really want to embrace the life of a medical reporter. There will be hours spent analyzing generally poorly written medical journal articles. You will place repeated phone calls to health professionals who often don’t want to talk to you. There will be a lack of appreciation from newspaper editors and television news directors and not enough column inches or broadcast airtime to adequately tell your story. And the pay will be not at all commensurate with your skills or level of education.

If none of the above deters you, if you find science and medicine inherently fascinating, and if you write just for the joy of turning a good phrase, then medical journalism is for you.

Thomas Linden, M.D., is director of the Medical Journalism Program and Glaxo Wellcome Distinguished Professor of Medical Journalism at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Linden was the first health and science correspondent for CNBC, medical reporter for KRON-TV in San Francisco, medical editor of Fox 11 News in Los Angeles, and co-anchor of “Physicians’ Journal Update” on Lifetime Medical Television.

Most popular articles from Nieman Foundation

Summer 2004: journalist’s trade introduction, publisher, editor and reporter, the press and the presidency.

Reporter Salary in the United States

Reporter salary.

How much does a Reporter make in the United States? The average Reporter salary in the United States is $57,320 as of April 24, 2024, but the range typically falls between $51,784 and $66,267 . Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education , certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target. 

• Paid Annually
• Paid Monthly
• Paid Semimonthly
• Paid Biweekly
• Paid Weekly
• Paid Hourly

Target Analyst Reporter with Security Clearance

Signature Federal Systems - Linthicum Heights, MD

FUSE Engineering - Fort Meade, MD

Language Analyst Reporter with Security Clearance

MultiLingual Solutions Inc. - Fort Meade, MD

Inovex Information Systems Inc - Annapolis Junction, MD

• View Hourly Wages
• Select State
• Select City
• Choose Similar Job
• Pick Related Category
• View Cost of Living in Major Cities

What skills does a Reporter need?

Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

Storytelling: Planning, creating and presenting stories or narratives to achieve diverse personal and business goals.

Background Check: A background check or background investigation is a review of a potential employee's criminal, commercial and financial records. The goal of background checks is to ensure the safety and security of the employees in the organisation

Economics: Economics is a social science that focuses on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, and analyzes the choices that individuals, businesses, governments, and nations make to allocate resources.

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

Job Description for Reporter

Reporter develops, investigates, and writes a variety of news stories. Researches a variety of news stories through interviews, observation, and library and/or online resources. Being a Reporter determines tone and intended audience of story. Organizes the facts and writes the story consistent with an agreed-upon style or standard. Additionally, Reporter validates news story leads. May require a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a manager. The Reporter occasionally directed in several aspects of the work. Gaining exposure to some of the complex tasks within the job function. To be a Reporter typically requires 2-4 years of related experience. (Copyright 2024 Salary.com)... View full job description

Employers: Job Description Management Tool

See user submitted job responsibilities for Reporter.

Our job description management tool- JobArchitect streamlines your job description process. Say goodbye to the hassle of crafting job descriptions.

Does your employee feel unfair treatment? See our CompAnalyst ® Pay Equity Suite can help you achieve and sustain pay equity with the true end-to-end solution.

Search Job Openings

Salary.com job board provides millions of Reporter information for you to search for. Click on search button below to see Reporter job openings or enter a new job title here.

• Target Analyst Reporter with Security Clearance FUSE Engineering - Fort Meade, MD Description The Target Analyst Reporter prioritizes, assesses, evaluates and reports information obtained from passive and active collection, network evalu... - 2 Days Ago
• Language Analyst Reporter with Security Clearance MultiLingual Solutions Inc. - Fort Meade, MD MultiLingual Solutions, Inc. (MLS) is a comprehensive foreign language services firm that provides full- spectrum linguistic, analytical and operational su... - 3 Days Ago
• Target Analyst Reporter with Security Clearance Inovex Information Systems Inc - Annapolis Junction, MD iNovex is seeking multiple Target Analyst Reporters to support a program within our Next-Gen portfolio. iNovex was built on the principle that people matte... - 3 Days Ago
• Target Analyst Reporter 3 with Security Clearance FUSE Engineering - Saratoga Springs, UT Description Fuse is searching for. talented individuals who provide target analysis and reporting. This program will maximize the effectiveness and efficie... - 2 Days Ago

Career Path for Reporter

A career path is a sequence of jobs that leads to your short- and long-term career goals. Some follow a linear career path within one field, while others change fields periodically to achieve career or personal goals.

For Reporter, the upper level is Digital Content Writer III and then progresses to Digital Content Writer IV.

PayPal Holdings, Inc.

Company description, what does a reporter do, are you an hr manager or compensation specialist.

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

• Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
• Job and employee pricing reports
• Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.

Reporter Pay Difference by Location

Reporter salary varies from city to city. Compared with national average salary of Reporter, the highest Reporter salary is in San Francisco, CA, where the Reporter salary is 25.0% above. The lowest Reporter salary is in Miami, FL, where the Reporter salary is 3.5% lower than national average salary.

Similar Jobs to Reporter

Level of education for reporter.

Jobs with different levels of education may pay very differently. Check the Reporter salary of your education level.

• Reporter Salaries with No Diploma
• Reporter Salaries with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate
• Reporter Salaries with an Associate's Degree
• Reporter Salaries with a Bachelor's Degree
• Reporter Salaries with a Master's Degree or MBA
• Reporter Salaries with a JD, MD, PhD or Equivalent

Reporter Salary by State

Geographic variations impact Reporter salary levels, due to various factors, such as cost of living, industries, market demand and company budgets. Click below to see pay differences between states.

Browse All Media - Print Jobs by Salary Level

Browse related job categories with reporter.

A job category is a classification or grouping of job positions that share similar characteristics, functions, or industries. Reporter salary varies from category to category. Click below to see Reporter salary in different categories.

Take just three simple steps below to generate your own personalized salary report

Understand the total compensation opportunity for a Reporter, base salary plus other pay elements

Average base salary.

Core compensation

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

Discover how your pay is adjusted for skills, experience, and other factors

How much should you be paid.

For a real-time salary target, tell us more about your role in the four categories below.

Your estimated salary based on up-to-date market data and the factors you selected below

View the Cost of Living in Major Cities

Skills associated with Reporter: Style Guide Standards , Interviewing , Proofreading , Copyediting ... More

Recently searched related titles: Sports Referee , Multimedia Journalist , Radio Personality

Recently searched companies with related titles : KOMO News Anchor , Boston News News Anchor , 9News News Anchor

Recently searched related titles: Field Inventory Analyst , Policy Planner , Staff Reporter

Jobs with a similar salary range to Reporter : Brand Journalist , Senior Journalist , Sports Anchor , On-Air Personality , Plater I , Anchor/Reporter

Salary estimation for Reporter at companies like : Brickyard Holdings LLC , nv oakridge LLC , Iranian American Political Action Committee

Jobs with a similar salary range to Reporter : Features Reporter , News Reporter , On Air Talent

BROWSER UPGRADE

Urbana.edu has been completely rebuilt using the latest techniques and technologies, making it faster and easier to use.

Unfortunely, the browser you are using does not support those technologies.

We recommend that you upgrade your current browser or choose another web browser, such as Chrome or Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer 9+.

• Online Degrees
• Tuition & Financial Aid
• Transferring Credit
• The Franklin Experience

Request Information

We're sorry.

There was an unexpected error with the form (your web browser was unable to retrieve some required data from our servers). This kind of error may occur if you have temporarily lost your internet connection. If you're able to verify that your internet connection is stable and the error persists, the Franklin University Help Desk is available to assist you at [email protected] , 614.947.6682 (local), or 1.866.435.7006 (toll free).

Just a moment while we process your submission.

Page Navigation

• Education & Experience
• Degree Types

Additional Links

• More Occupations

Request Info

General assignment reporters: how to become one.

If you were to ask a group of general assignment reporters about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.

That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.

The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for general assignment reporters to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of general assignment reporters expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.

Keep reading to learn more about career steps for general assignment reporters.

What Education & Experience is Needed for General Assignment Reporters?

Do general assignment reporters need a degree? What kind of experience do general assignment reporters typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for general assignment reporters to secure jobs.

Education Level Required in Job Postings for General Assignment Reporters

Jobs postings for general assignment reporters by education.

• Bachelor's degree: 14,166 (53%)
• No Education Listed: 10,021 (37%)
• High School or GED: 1,430 (5%)
• Master's degree: 1,110 (4%)
• Ph.D. or professional degree: 102 (0%)

A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of general assignment reporters. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 53% of positions. In 37% of job listings no education level was listed and in 5% of postings a High School diploma or GED was required.

Experience Level Required in Job Postings for General Assignment Reporters

Jobs postings for general assignment reporters by experience.

• 0-1 Years: 3,165 (22%)
• 2-3 Years: 8,051 (56%)
• 4-6 Years: 2,760 (19%)
• 7-9 Years: 195 (1%)
• 10+ Years: 188 (1%)

While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for general assignment reporters. In 56% of job postings for General Assignment Reporters, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 22% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 19% of job postings for general assignment reporters.

What Kind of Degree Do General Assignment Reporters Need?

So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for general assignment reporters, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?

According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 23 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective general assignment reporters, and in 2021 a total of 147,385 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.

Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective general assignment reporters.

Top Degree Programs for General Assignment Reporters

Top 5 degree programs for general assignment reporters (2021), top online college for working adults.

Franklin University is a top choice for adults who need to balance school with busy lives. Founded in 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, Franklin's main focus has been serving adult students and tailoring education to fit their needs. Nonprofit and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org/800.621.7440), Franklin offers more than 50 affordable bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs — all available 100% online.

Degree Options for General Assignment Reporters

Learn to craft clear and effective messages while adding new media communication methods to your professional toolkit.

• Class Type: 100% online
• Cost Per Credit: $398

What Skills Do General Assignment Reporters Need?

Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by general assignment reporters to secure a job?

A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for general assignment reporters, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.

In-Demand Skills for Today's General Assignment Reporters Based on 25,610 job postings

Top 5 specialized skills for general assignment reporters, top 5 common skills for general assignment reporters.

Based on 25,610 job postings related to general assignment reporters, journalism was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 53% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for news stories, social media, storytelling, content creation and news anchoring were also highly sought.

As for common skills, writing was the most desired skill found in job postings for general assignment reporters, followed by communications, editing, research, ability to meet deadlines and english language.

Ready to dig deeper into career information about general assignment reporters? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for general assignment reporters.

All Occupations

The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.

About This Data

The Best Adult Colleges & Careers Guide is sponsored by Franklin University, a nonprofit, accredited institution. The guide uses 2022 information from Lightcast™ to provide data on dozens of in-demand jobs.

Job titles used in government data may differ slightly from the job title on this page, so the closest matching government job classification may be used as a proxy to present data here.

On this page, data corresponds to the following occupational classification: News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists.

Copyright 2024 Franklin University

• River City Live
• Newsletters

Anne Maxwell

I-team and general assignment reporter, latest contributions, duval county school board to form focus groups on potential school consolidation.

Wednesday, DCPS staff presented a proposed framework for making sure stakeholders' voices are heard in a process that could see schools consolidated in Duval County.

The search for the next Duval superintendent is in its final stretch, but you can still make your voice heard

An extensive search process for the next superintendent of Duval County Public Schools could soon come to an end after finalists wrapped up on-site interviews on Tuesday.

Finalists for Duval County superintendent job answer questions from board members, public

The search for the next superintendent of Duval County Public Schools is down to two finalists, and a crucial part of the interview process is happening Monday.

‘This is unacceptable’: FDOE gives Duval schools 5 days to respond to concerns over student safety issues

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) sent a letter to Duval County Public Schools on Thursday expressing concerns the department has with the failure of school leaders to respond to student safety issues.

Duval school board discusses declining enrollment, ongoing investigation, superintendent search with city council

The Jacksonville City Council joined with the Duval County School Board on Wednesday morning to hear about some of the school district’s key issues.

School Board announces 2 finalists for Duval County superintendent

The Duval County School Board is expected to narrow the five remaining candidates for the Duval County Public Schools superintendent position down to finalists on Tuesday.

Attorney representing protesters arrested at UNF hopes the university drops trespassing charges

An attorney representing more than a dozen pro-Palestine protestors who were arrested at UNF said he believes the police response was disproportionate and the trespassing after warning charges should be dropped.

8 students, 8 other adults arrested by university police at UNF pro-Palestine protest, school says

The University of North Florida said university police officers arrested a total of 16 people Thursday night after they refused to leave campus during a pro-Palestine rally.

After arrest of Jacksonville funeral director, DeSantis signs bill giving state more power to investigate funeral homes

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law on Thursday in Jacksonville that will give the state more authority to investigate derelict funeral homes.

Woman accused of squatting in Jacksonville home last year now faces criminal charges

A woman accused of squatting in a Jacksonville home more than a year ago is now facing criminal charges.

‘Nothing worse’: Sheriff says JSO corrections officer among 17 charged in jail drug smuggling ring

A long-term investigation into a drug smuggling ring at the Duval County jail resulted in 17 arrests.

Army Corps of Engineers launches 16-week renourishment project for Duval County beaches

The goal is to address erosion caused by tropical storms Ian and Nicole.

• Entertainment
• Newsletters

Search continues for boater who killed teenage girl off Key Biscayne

Florida fish and wildlife conservation commission investigates fatal crash.

Terrell Forney , Reporter

Trent Kelly , Reporter

Andrea Torres , Digital Journalist

MIAMI – A family was grieving on Mother’s Day Sunday after a 15-year-old girl died during a boat collision on Saturday off Key Biscayne. The boater never even stopped.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has been searching for a light blue center console boat since the operator struck struck and killed the waterskier near the Nixon Beach Sandbar around 4:40 p.m.

The victim has been identified as Ella Adler.

“We are searching for a vessel that we are told is a center console, light blue, possible blue bottom paint with two or possibly up to four outboard engines,” said Officer George Reynaud, a spokesman for FWC.

Police officers and fire rescue personnel also responded to the Bill Baggs Cape State Park and assisted with the search. FWC asked anyone with information about the case to call 1-888-404-3922.

“This is a very tragic situation,” Reynaud said.

According to an online obituary, Ella was a student at Ransom Everglades High School and is the granddaughter of Michael Adler, the U.S. ambassador to Belgium.

“Our hearts are broken and our community has been devastated by this tragedy,” Ransom Everglades Head of School Rachel Rodriguez said in a statement Monday. “Ella shined in our classrooms and on our stages, and she embodied the mission of Ransom Everglades School.

“She was an outstanding student, a wonderful dancer and an active member of the Jewish Student Association and speech and debate team. We extend our deepest sympathy to her family and our prayers are with all who are mourning her loss.

“In this time of unspeakable pain, we have been moved by the outpouring of kindness and compassion from the Ransom Everglades community. In the coming days and weeks, we will continue to lean into our core values and provide support and care to the many students and members of our professional community who are grieving.”

A public post memorializing the young girl says in part, “In her 15 years on this earth, she dazzled us with her light. She emanated love and joy. She was beautiful.”

Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editor Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report.

Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.

About the Authors

Terrell forney.

Terrell Forney joined Local 10 News in October 2005 as a general assignment reporter. He was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but a desire to escape the harsh winters of the north brought him to South Florida.

Trent Kelly

Trent Kelly is an award-winning multimedia journalist who joined the Local 10 News team in June 2018. Trent is no stranger to Florida. Born in Tampa, he attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, where he graduated with honors from the UF College of Journalism and Communications.

RELATED STORIES

Waterskier dies after boat collision off key biscayne.

Recommended Videos

Iowa AG Brenna Bird joins Donald Trump entourage in NYC, calls hush money trial 'a travesty'

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird called the charges against Donald Trump a “scam” Monday as she joined the former president's entourage at a New York City courthouse where he is standing trial in a criminal hush money case.

Bird, a Republican, has been an outspoken Trump supporter, endorsing him ahead of the 2024 Iowa Caucuses and using her elected position to aggressively target Democratic President Joe Biden's policies .

In video footage , Bird can be seen Monday morning entering the courthouse behind Trump along with a gaggle of his supporters, including U.S. Sens. JD Vance (R-Ohio) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.). Vance is reported to be a vice presidential contender as Trump seeks another term in office.

Bird’s office confirmed to the Des Moines Register she was in attendance, and a spokesperson said no taxpayer money had been used to fund her travel.

Brenna Bird: What I saw at Donald Trump's trial 'is a travesty'

During a mid-day break in court testimony, Bird joined a news conference outside of the New York City courthouse with fellow Trump supporters, including Vance and Tuberville.

She said she traveled from Iowa to represent the red state's support for the former president, who is running to defeat Biden in November.

"We need him back as our president leading our country again," Bird said. "My background is as a prosecutor, and what I saw in that courtroom today is a travesty. Politics has no place in a court of law."

Bird said Trump should be campaigning, not spending time in court. She claimed the charges brought against Trump by a federal grand jury are a "scam" to prevent him from winning a second term.  

"They try to charge him with all these ridiculous things that include a star witness who is a perjurer, disbarred, convicted of lying," Bird said. "It tells us the state we are in this country right now."

The Iowa Attorney General’s office issued a statement in which Bird again railed against the trial, saying in part: “I am glad to stand with President Trump in New York today in opposition to the lawfare being waged against him."

The Iowa Democratic Party criticized Bird's appearance in New York.

“Iowans deserve to know whether their hard-earned money is going to a political photo op 1,100 miles from the State Capitol," party chair Rita Hart said in a statement. "Even more so, Iowans deserve an attorney general that’s focused on serving her constituents — not her political ambitions."

Bird has made a point of opposing the Biden administration at every turn. A Register analysis published in January found that her office has brought, joined or filed more than a dozen briefs against the federal government.

When Trump won the Iowa Caucuses Jan. 15, he lauded Bird in his victory speech, telling the Iowa crowd, "She's going to be your governor someday."

Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, took the witness stand  Monday in an effort to convince the jury that Trump authorized him to pay $130,000 in hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election, and that Trump arranged to reimburse him in a scheme that would cover up the hush money.

Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He has pleaded not guilty.

Cohen was disbarred after pleading guilty in 2018 to campaign finance violations and lying to Congress, among other crimes. Prosecutors  hope to overcome that baggage  and persuade a jury Cohen is telling the truth.

USA TODAY contributed to this report.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. She is also covering the 2024 presidential race for USA TODAY as a senior national campaign correspondent. Reach her at [email protected] or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Register. Reach her at  [email protected]  or follow her on Twitter at @ Kkealey17 .

More: Trump trial live updates: Michael Cohen testifies as star witness in hush money trial

‘A Dangerous Assignment’ Director and Reporter Discuss the Risks in Investigating the Powerful in Maduro’s Venezuela

A still from FRONTLINE and Armando.info's documentary "A Dangerous Assignment: Uncovering Corruption in Maduro's Venezuela."

The investigation at the heart of FRONTLINE’s new documentary A Dangerous Assignment: Uncovering Corruption in Maduro’s Venezuela unfolded as Venezuelan journalist Roberto Deniz started looking into complaints about the poor quality of food distributed by a government program.

Venezuela was in the throes of economic collapse in 2016. The value of the country’s oil had fallen, leading to a deficit, and Venezuelans faced high inflation and food shortages. President Nicolás Maduro responded by launching a food program called the Local Committees for Supply and Production (Comité Locales de Abastecimiento y Producción or CLAP).

As Deniz and the Venezuelan independent news site Armando.info where he worked looked into the program, they would help uncover a corruption scheme and the figure at the heart of the scandal: Alex Saab. The documentary, made in collaboration with Armando.info, was directed by Juan Ravell, produced by Jeff Arak and reported by Deniz — who is now living and working in exile.

Deniz and Ravell spoke with FRONTLINE about the risks of reporting on Venezuela, tracing a corruption scandal that reached into the Venezuelan government and spanned continents, and the price that journalists pay for investigating the powerful in Maduro’s government.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Some of the responses have been translated from Spanish.

Can you both take me back to how this whole investigation started?

Deniz: This has been a long story for us — “us” being Armando.info, but also for me, as a journalist. My investigation about Alex Saab started in 2016. That was the moment in which I decided to start investigating what was happening behind the CLAP program. But in 2015, the name Alex Saab came up in an investigation about a contract that he got to build buildings for poor people in Venezuela. The moment when I realized that Alex Saab was also behind the CLAP food program, it was a big signal: This is not a simple contractor of the Venezuelan government. He’s a man who is more powerful than we could imagine.

Ravell: I wasn’t there from the beginning, but I did start collaborating with Armando.info around 2019. They were doing short pieces with different styles in their investigation, so I was making shorts for them and little videos. I remember clearly when the Alacran [Scorpion] investigation broke. An investigation by Armando.info found that opposition lawmakers worked secretly to defend some of Alex Saab’s businesses abroad. And I remember listening to the phone call that Roberto had with Venezuelan opposition politician Luis Parra and I was thinking, “This is insane that nobody’s listening to this call and so few people are aware of the job that Roberto is doing.” The way that Roberto behaved — very controlled, pressing but fair — was impressive to me. That’s when I got the initial idea. Then, when Alex Saab was detained in Cape Verde, we were pretty much convinced that this needs to be a documentary.

Alex Saab’s business network was complicated and vast. Juan, how did you decide what aspects of the story to focus on while filming this documentary?

Ravell: Roberto’s investigation led the narrative. We wanted to follow the most important stories Roberto was publishing, and those that had the most impact. The milk investigation is pretty important to Venezuelans and finding out who was behind its import. A chemical analysis requested by Armando.info showed some of the powdered milk in the CLAP boxes was so deficient in calcium and high in sodium that a researcher noted it couldn’t be classified as milk.

We knew Alex Saab before that. There had been some reporting by Armando.info, but when they connect him to the CLAP importing scheme, that’s when this story gets going. So from then on, we’re basically following Roberto through his investigation and his stories. Other journalists were also working on this case like Gerardo Reyes from Univision and Joshua Goodman from The Associated Press.

Roberto, at what point did you realize the scale of Saab’s business network and its connection to so many Venezuelan government projects?

Deniz: Since 2016, when I realized that Alex Saab was behind the CLAP program. For me, it was very clear that Alex Saab was a man that we have to investigate. The idea that he was the man behind this program to provide food to poor people in Venezuela — that Nicolás Maduro gave all this power to these guys — was a very important signal. When I started, I realized that there was a lot of fear to talk about him. Some sources immediately told me, “Well, Roberto, you have to be careful, because this is a powerful man and is very close to Nicolás Maduro.”

Roberto, you say in the film that some of the information about Saab’s dealings was difficult to uncover, and you needed to find alternative sources. Can you share the process you used to vet these sources to make sure that the information that they were providing was legitimate?

Deniz: In a country like Venezuela, there are severe threats and intimidation against the journalists that dare to do this kind of work. Normally, a journalist can access information from public records, and you can access officials and expect some kind of response. But that doesn’t happen in Venezuela. They won’t even want to acknowledge that you have contacted them.

I spoke to many of the sources that I had gathered for many years, whom I thought could have useful information about what was happening with the CLAP program. That was how I started to gain access to information, documents, papers that confirmed and signaled that Alex Saab was behind all this. You have to double-check, check three or even four times, every piece of information.

I also had many off-the-record sources. I think that over time, those sources have seen the determination that I and the team at Armando.info have had regarding this investigation, and that’s the main reason why they have trusted in our rigor and perseverance.

What was the most challenging aspect of telling the story visually?

Ravell: I’d say finding the balance. It’s a lot of documents. It’s a lot of words. It’s a lot of very dry information that we need to present in an interesting way, so I think what we managed to do is just rely on the narrative and try to find the best ways to translate that into a compelling film.

We were present in certain key moments. When Roberto’s house in Venezuela was raided, we had a camera with Roberto and we were able to interview him that night. The day of the prisoner swap — when Saab was returned from Miami to Venezuela — was interesting, because we had a team in Bogotá following Roberto and a team in Miami. So two different teams in two separate cities covering the same thing. It was an interesting experiment. And I think it comes across nicely in the film.

Roberto, you shared how reporting this story has led to you living in exile. How has that affected your ability to tell stories about what’s going on in Venezuela? What kind of challenges do you face now doing the same kind of journalism you used to do from inside the country?

Deniz: Since I had to get out of Venezuela in 2018, the most difficult thing was answering, “How can I do my work now?” It was so difficult. All of my life, since I decided to become a journalist, I was living in Venezuela, working in Venezuela. But ultimately, my exile was a solution for me, because I could keep working.

The most difficult thing, I think, is the personal part, the family. I know that all of these investigations are not easy for my family, all their grief, all the personal costs that I decided to face during all of these years.

People told me, “Wow, Roberto, you are brave,” “You are a strong person.” I am totally convinced that it’s not related to that. It’s related to our duty as journalists, our responsibility as journalists in a country like Venezuela. People don’t have the opportunity to know what is really happening in the country. I think that has pushed me to continue on in this investigation.

Many times I have thought that this is the moment to end the investigation. I cannot continue anymore. But I have to continue on what we have tried to do in Armando.info.

Can you both speak about the government’s reaction to this journalism, and what it says about press freedoms in Venezuela? What impact is the current atmosphere having on reporters still working inside Venezuela?

Ravell: It’s pretty clear from NGOs that research freedom of expression that investigative journalism and free, independent journalism is at risk in Venezuela. If you publish something and you get sued for defamation, that could end up getting you criminal charges and that can put you in jail. What Armando.info decided to do is just go in and report on hard things, subjects like corruption, and report on people who are very connected to the highest reaches of the Venezuelan government. By doing that, the choice they had to make was to leave the country. One of the few ways you can report on Venezuela is by going into exile. Still, in exile, there are risks, as you can see in the film. Roberto’s house in Venezuela was raided right before Alex Saab was extradited. So he’s in exile, and he’s still persecuted.

Deniz: I have been in exile since 2018, and nowadays I don’t feel that I am safe living abroad. I think that shows how powerful the message of an autocratic government is when they decide to oppose the work of independent journalists. If you see all the stories related to the Alex Saab case, the first legal action that I faced was in 2017 when he decided to sue me. I could face jail if I stayed in Venezuela. I’m totally sure about that. But then in 2021, I got a new legal action against me. I think that is a clear message that even if you get out of Venezuela, but you continue with your work, you are going to face all of the power of the Venezuelan government. It’s so sad for us as journalists.

Shortly before the premiere of this film, the Venezuelan government began responding to the documentary. Can you give us your take on their response?

Deniz: The attorney general of Venezuela accused us — Ewald Scharfenberg, editor and founder of Armando.info, and me, as a reporter — of supposedly being part of and benefiting from a “corruption scheme” related to Venezuela’s ex-oil minister, Tarek El Aissami, who was incarcerated some weeks ago and who’s been questioned for more than a year within a corruption investigation in PDVSA, the Venezuelan state-owned oil company.

It’s not a coincidence that this is happening right after we released the documentary’s trailer. For me, it’s more than evident that this accusation is total nonsense, but that doesn’t make it less serious, because this is a criminalization of the journalism that we have been doing in Armando.info. Sometimes I think that if you compare the work of Armando.info with all the power of the Venezuelan government, we’re like a dwarf fighting a giant, a tiny particle against a huge government, but that only shows you the authoritarian nature of this regime. They won’t tolerate, they won’t accept that some people persist and keep investigating.

Watch the full documentary A Dangerous Assignment: Uncovering Corruption in Maduro’s Venezuela :

Max Maldonado , Tow Journalism Fellow, FRONTLINE/Newmark Journalism School Fellowships , FRONTLINE

More stories.

‘It Would Have Been Easier To Look Away’: A Journalist’s Investigation Into Corruption in Maduro’s Venezuela

FRONTLINE's Reporting on Journalism Under Threat

Risks of Handcuffing Someone Facedown Long Known; People Die When Police Training Fails To Keep Up

In Hundreds of Deadly Police Encounters, Officers Broke Multiple Safety Guidelines

Documenting police use of force, get our newsletter, follow frontline, frontline newsletter, we answer to no one but you.

You'll receive access to exclusive information and early alerts about our documentaries and investigations.

I'm already subscribed

The FRONTLINE Dispatch

Don't miss an episode. sign-up for the frontline dispatch newsletter., sign-up for the unresolved newsletter..

Advertisement

Supported by

Army Officer Resigns in Protest of ‘Unqualified’ U.S. Support to Israel

While assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency, Maj. Harrison Mann said he was enabling policies that violated his conscience.

• Share full article

By John Ismay

Reporting from Washington

An Army officer assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency has resigned in protest over the United States’ support for Israel, which he said had “enabled and empowered” the killing of Palestinian civilians.

The officer, Maj. Harrison Mann, announced his resignation and explained his reasons for leaving the service in a post on the social media site LinkedIn on Monday. According to his biography on the site, he has specialized in the Middle East and Africa for about half of his 13-year career and previously served at the U.S. Embassy in Tunis.

“The policy that has never been far from my mind for the past six months is the nearly unqualified support for the government of Israel, which has enabled and empowered the killing and starvation of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians,” Major Mann wrote in the post, which noted that he had emailed his comments to co-workers on April 16. “This unconditional support also encourages reckless escalation that risks wider war.”

Reached by phone on Monday, Major Mann confirmed that he was the author of the post but declined to comment further, referring questions to the D.I.A.’s office of corporate communications.

It is unclear whether other military officers have resigned in protest of U.S. foreign policy since the deadly Hamas-led attacks in Israel in October ignited the war, but the resignation of an active-duty officer in protest of U.S. foreign policy is most likely uncommon — especially one in which the officer makes public the reasons for doing so.

A spokeswoman for the Army was not immediately able to confirm whether other officers had resigned for similar reasons since the war began.

As the death toll in Gaza has risen, the Biden administration has faced waves of internal dissent for supporting Israel in the war. In October, Josh Paul, a State Department official in the bureau that oversees arms transfers, resigned in protest of the administration’s decision to continue sending weapons to Israel.

Major Mann said that he had planned to leave the Army “at some point” but that the Gaza war led him to submit his resignation in November and leave his assignment at the D.I.A. early.

Lt. Col. Ruth Castro, an Army spokeswoman, said his request was approved on Jan. 8 and would become effective on June 3.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Major Mann became an infantry officer after receiving his commission in 2011, then studied at the Army’s John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center in North Carolina and qualified as a civil affairs officer in 2016. About three years later, his biography states, he became a foreign area officer specializing in the Middle East.

Regional specialists are often posted at American embassies and may serve as defense attachés, who act as high-level liaisons between the Pentagon and the host nation’s military. Attachés also are trained to evaluate requests for weapons and training from foreign powers and make recommendations to State Department officials as to whether providing such aid is necessary and in line with federal laws on protecting human rights.

In his note, Major Mann said he had continued to carry out his duties at the Defense Intelligence Agency without voicing his concerns, hoping that the war would soon be over.

“I told myself my individual contribution was minimal, and that if I didn’t do my job, someone else would, so why cause a stir for nothing?” he wrote.

“My work here — however administrative or marginal it appeared — has unquestionably contributed to that support,” his post said. “The past months have presented us with the most horrific and heartbreaking images imaginable — sometimes playing on the news in our own spaces — and I have been unable to ignore the connection between those images and my duties here. This caused me incredible shame and guilt.”

“At some point — whatever the justification — you’re either advancing a policy that enables the mass starvation of children, or you’re not,” he added.

“I know that I did, in my small way, wittingly advance that policy,” the major wrote. “And I want to clarify that as the descendant of European Jews, I was raised in a particularly unforgiving moral environment when it came to the topic of bearing responsibility for ethnic cleansing.”

John Ismay is a reporter covering the Pentagon for The Times. He served as an explosive ordnance disposal officer in the U.S. Navy. More about John Ismay

Our Coverage of the Israel-Hamas War

News and Analysis

President Biden’s national security adviser said that while the United States was committed to Israel’s defense, it had still failed to provide the White House  with a plan for moving nearly a million Gazans safely out of Rafah before any invasion of the city.

Israelis gathered  across the country for the first national day of mourning since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks, with protesters disrupting several ceremonies  as they demanded that government ministers do more to secure the release of hostages.

The United Nations said that a staff member was killed  when one of its convoys came under fire in Rafah. It was the first time an international U.N. staff member has been killed in Gaza since the conflict began in October.

A Key Weapon: When President Biden threatened to pause some weapons shipments to Israel if it invaded Rafah, the devastating effects of the 2,000-pound Mark 84 bomb  were of particular concern to him.

A Presidential Move: Ronald Reagan also used the power of American arms to influence  Israeli war policy. The comparison underscores how much the politics of Israel have changed in the United States since the 1980s.

Netanyahu’s Concerns: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, under pressure from all sides, is trying to reassure his many domestic, military and diplomatic critics. Here’s a look at what he is confronting .

Al Jazeera Shutdown: The influential Arab news network says it will continue reporting from Gaza and the West Bank, but its departure from Israel is a new low in its long-strained history with the country .