How to hire a freelance reporter

How to hire a freelance reporter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step freelance reporter hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a freelance reporter job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new freelance reporter
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a freelance reporter, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A freelance reporter's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, freelance reporters from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of freelance reporter salaries for various roles:

   Type of Freelance Reporter	Description	Hourly rate
   Freelance Reporter	Reporters, correspondents, and broadcast news analysts inform the public about news and events happening internationally, nationally, and locally. They report the news for newspapers, magazines, websites, television, and radio.	$16-48
   Video Journalist	Video journalists make videos conveying the news and factual stories for the audiences. Their day-to-day duties may vary but typically include editing, researching, and reporting, developing and planning live or taped video segments, and compiling data from various sources... Show more	$19-53
   Journalist	A journalist is responsible for creating written correspondence, covering various subjects as the management requires. This task involves a lot of research investigations, conducting interviews, and gathering reliable sources to verify the authenticity of data before releasing the articles on news portals and other social platforms... Show more	$18-45

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Photography
   • Feature Stories
   • Conduct Interviews
   • News Coverage
   • Local Events
   • News Articles
   • Local News Stories
   • Community Events
   • Human Interest Stories
   • Local Government
   • Clips
   • Press Releases
   • Writing Articles
   • Twitter

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain connections to audience on Facebook by posting breaking news, local news, current events and teases for stories.
   • Design websites using HTML code.
   • Work on web pages in Dreamweaver in HTML and CSS.
   • Lead writer that cover various topics revolving around the NFL season and college draft.
   • Enhance publication's online presence by posting material on the newspaper's website and Facebook pages.
   • Provide coverage for topics around sports with a primary focus on MLS, MLB, and NFL.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your freelance reporter job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A freelance reporter salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, freelance reporters' average salary in hawaii is 60% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level freelance reporters earn 66% less than senior-level freelance reporters.
   • Certifications. A freelance reporter with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a freelance reporter's salary.

   Average freelance reporter salary

   $59,035yearly

   $28.38 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level freelance reporter salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

4. Writing a freelance reporter job description

   A freelance reporter job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a freelance reporter job description:

   Freelance reporter job description example

   We are Altice USA; a family of businesses that includes Optimum, Optimum Mobile, Optimum Business, A4 advertising, Cheddar, and News12. Our common goal is connecting our customers to friends and family, shows they love, advertising that resonates and news that matters. We're building a workforce that thrives on collaboration, inclusion, and innovation. We hope connecting you to a potential role is just the beginning.
   
   News 12 is looking for a Freelance Reporter/Multimedia Journalist to generate story ideas, gather information, and produce and present stories and other content for all platforms including social media. The candidate must have the ability to independently shoot, write and edit clear, relevant and meaningful news stories. They must also have the ability to operate the assigned news gathering gear and ensure all content meets News 12 Network standards for journalistic integrity and production quality. The ideal candidate will develop sources, maintain contacts and pursue leads that result in original stories. Gather information, video content, interviews, and other elements necessary to produce thorough, high-quality news reports. Maintain a deep level of familiarity with hyper-local news events in order to generate original stories. Represent News 12 positively in the community in a courteous and professional manner. Participate in special projects and perform other duties as assigned. Respond to breaking news and other urgent newsroom situations as required. The freelance position is on-call as needed with fluctuating hours. Candidates must have a flexible schedule and be available to work various shifts with short notice at times.
   
   * Associates or Bachelor's degree in Journalism or Communications preferred, Master's degree is a plus.
   
   * Minimum one year full-time professional news reporting experience preferred.
   * Ability to work independently in a one man band, backpack, multimedia environment.
   * Ability to edit on non-linear systems i.e. Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premier.
   * Highly effective on-air performance.
   * Extensive knowledge of local and national current events, newsmakers, and issues.
   * Knowledge of libel laws and ethical foundations of journalism.
   * Ability to conduct in-depth research and pursue investigative stories effectively.
   * Excellent news writing ability for all platforms including social media.
   * Maintain professional personal appearance as defined by News 12 management.
   * Ability to think quickly and respond appropriately in high pressure situations.
   * Valid driver's license with good driving record.
   * Ability to lift, carry and maneuver up to 50 lbs.
   * Ability to work inside a climate controlled office/studio environment and outside in all weather conditions including extremes in hot and cold temperature, wet or humid conditions.
   * Flexibility to work any assigned shift with ability to work nights, weekends and holidays; or longer shifts due to "breaking news".
   
   Altice USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to recruiting, hiring and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds regardless of gender, race, color, creed, national origin, religion, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local law.
   
   Altice USA, Inc. collects personal information about its applicants for employment that may include personal identifiers, professional or employment related information, photos, education information and/or protected classifications under federal and state law. This information is collected for employment purposes, including identification, work authorization, FCRA-compliant background screening, human resource administration and compliance with federal, state and local law.
   
   As a condition of employment, New York City requires all private-sector workers assigned to a location in the City to be vaccinated by December, 27, 2021. Accommodations may be available for religious or medical reasons; please visit our accommodations link on the AUSA Career Site.
   
   Applicants for employment with Altice will never be asked to provide money (even if reimbursable) as part of the job application or hiring process. Please review our Fraud FAQ for further details.
   
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5. Post your job

   To find the right freelance reporter for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with freelance reporters they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit freelance reporters who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your freelance reporter job on Zippia to find and recruit freelance reporter candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting freelance reporters requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new freelance reporter

   Once you've selected the best freelance reporter candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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