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Beat reporter vs sports writer

The differences between beat reporters and sports writers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a beat reporter and a sports writer. Additionally, a beat reporter has an average salary of $65,737, which is higher than the $36,041 average annual salary of a sports writer.

The top three skills for a beat reporter include feature stories, twitter and hard news stories. The most important skills for a sports writer are SEO, game coverage, and feature stories.

Beat reporter vs sports writer overview

Beat ReporterSports Writer
Yearly salary$65,737$36,041
Hourly rate$31.60$17.33
Growth rate-10%-10%
Number of jobs2,13316,981
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 86%Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Average age4040
Years of experience22

Beat reporter vs sports writer salary

Beat reporters and sports writers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Beat ReporterSports Writer
Average salary$65,737$36,041
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $117,000Between $25,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between beat reporter and sports writer education

There are a few differences between a beat reporter and a sports writer in terms of educational background:

Beat ReporterSports Writer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 86%Bachelor's Degree, 83%
Most common majorJournalismJournalism
Most common collegeMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Beat reporter vs sports writer demographics

Here are the differences between beat reporters' and sports writers' demographics:

Beat ReporterSports Writer
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 59.3% Female, 40.7%Male, 82.6% Female, 17.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.7% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 8.8% White, 66.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between beat reporter and sports writer duties and responsibilities

Beat reporter example responsibilities.

  • Develop and write columns and editorials in the sports field as well as managed the blog website.
  • Update newspaper's Facebook account.
  • Cover issues relating back to health, writing print stories, producing broadcast video and photography.
  • Used twitter to monitor trending topics and reach out to points of contact to cover crime and jurisprudence.
  • Interview sources daily; coordinate frequently with editorial and photography departments.
  • Construct and edit web-published multimedia pieces that are featured on the university's athletic programs.
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Sports writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage and encourage the Student/Staff in completion of tasks that are present.
  • Achieve worldwide coverage with one particular article criticizing racism in soccer.
  • Manage athletic contest statistics using various programs including Dakstats and other software.
  • Maintain social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and twitterconduct interviews with sourcesWrote local sports stories and take photographs
  • Produce content for multiple MLB and NFL stand-alone publications and special sections.
  • Assist with writing blogs for former Exitos939.com, tweets, facebook, Instagram posts on a daily/weekly basis.
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Beat reporter vs sports writer skills

Common beat reporter skills
  • Feature Stories, 17%
  • Twitter, 10%
  • Hard News Stories, 8%
  • Facebook, 6%
  • Photography, 6%
  • Press Conferences, 5%
Common sports writer skills
  • SEO, 9%
  • Game Coverage, 9%
  • Feature Stories, 7%
  • Twitter, 5%
  • Soccer, 5%
  • News Stories, 4%

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