Journalist Salary - Where do We Go from Here?

In recent years, traditional media sources such as print, radio and television have been facing increasingly stiff competition from the Internet, impacting journalists and journalist salaries alike. No longer do people have to wait for the next edition of their local newspaper or television news program to get the latest scoop on current events--they can hop online and not only read up-to-the-minute reports of goings-on, but also comment on stories, pass them on to friends, and write their own stories. Journalists have had to rapidly adjust to this new information climate, and all the changes have some people asking, "how will this impact journalist salary in the future?"

Fortunately, for the typical journalist, salary is earned by more skills than simply computer ownership and an ability to type. A journalist needs immaculate research and fact-checking skills, an ability to speak articulately and write interesting stories, a solid understanding of what is newsworthy, and the ability to ask the right questions. Anyone who's ever sat down to interview another person will tell you--those questions don't just write themselves!

Journalism Salary Data

The key to staying ahead in the face of Web reporting will be to embrace it, rather than ignoring it. Take a look at the Journalist Salary by City chart, and investigate Journalist Salaries by State as well. You'll find that journalist average salary is hugely affected by location. As the Web continues to establish a presence in the media, journalist salaries may be influenced less by location - thanks to new methods of communication, journalist salaries can be earned from anywhere in the world. Researching Journalist Salary by Industry, you can see that journalist salaries are currently highest for those working at a magazine. Drill down into Broadcast Journalism Salary to compare journalist average salary across industries. Whatever the future might hold, journalism remains an incredibly dynamic and progressive field. Nellie Bly would be proud--the Journalist Average Salary by Gender chart shows that it's one of the rare careers where women are earning as much as or more than their male counterparts.

Beyond Journalist Average Salary

Researching journalist average salary will give you some idea of what journalism careers can be like, but for the real scoop, it's always best to go to an inside source. Read Salary Stories' "Reporters Salary: How to be a Successful Reporter" to learn how web reporter W. James Au has embraced emerging new media to become a successful reporter with a book deal in the works.