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Journalist resume examples for 2025

Updated January 8, 2025
8 min read
Quoted Expert
David Faldet

Journalist resume research summary. We analyzed 1,577 journalist resumes to determine which ones land the most jobs. Below you'll find example journalist resumes that can help you get an interview (and a job offer) from companies like Us Navy and Examiner.com. Here are the key facts about journalist resumes to help you get the job:

  • The average journalist resume is 315 words long
  • The average journalist resume is 0.7 pages long based on 450 words per page.
  • News stories is the most common skill found on resume samples for journalists. It appears on 15.4% of journalist resumes.

After learning about how to write a professional resume for a journalist, make sure your resume checks all the boxes with our AI resume builder.

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Journalist resume example

Choose from 10+ customizable journalist resume templates

Choose from a variety of easy-to-use journalist resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your journalist resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Journalist Resume
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Journalist Resume
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Journalist Resume

Journalist resume format and sections

  1. 1

    1. Add contact information to your journalist resume

    Your name should be the biggest text on the page and be at or near the top of the document. Your address doesn't need to include your street name or house number - listing your city and state works just fine. Your email address should be professional, but not your current work email address. It's not a good look to use your work email for personal projects (job-searching). Your social media can be included if you have a fully-fledged LinkedIn page or another social media page that showcases your relevant skill set.

    Journalist Resume Contact Information Example #1

    Jane Moore

    Montgomery, AL 36043| 333-111-2222 | jane.moore@email.com

    Do you want to know more?
    How To Write The Perfect Resume Header
  2. 2

    2. Add relevant education to your journalist resume

    Your resume's education section should include:

    • The name of your school
    • The date you graduated (Month, Year or Year are both appropriate)
    • The name of your degree

    If you graduated more than 15 years ago, you should consider dropping your graduation date to avoid age discrimination.

    Optional subsections for your education section include:

    • Academic awards (Dean's List, Latin honors, etc. )
    • GPA (if you're a recent graduate and your GPA was 3.5+)
    • Extra certifications
    • Academic projects (thesis, dissertation, etc. )

    Other tips to consider when writing your education section include:

    • If you're a recent graduate, you might opt to place your education section above your experience section
    • The more work experience you get, the shorter your education section should be
    • List your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent and high-ranking degrees first
    • If you haven't graduated yet, you can include "Expected graduation date" to the entry for that school

    Check More About Journalist Education

    Majors
    12.0%
    Show More

    Journalist Resume Relevant Education Example #1

    Bachelor's Degree In Journalism 2008 - 2011

    University of Oregon Eugene, OR

    Journalist Resume Relevant Education Example #2

    Bachelor's Degree In English 2011 - 2014

    Montclair State University Montclair, NJ

  3. 3

    3. Next, create a journalist skills section on your resume

    Your resume's skills section should include the most important keywords from the job description, as long as you actually have those skills. If you haven't started your job search yet, you can look over resumes to get an idea of what skills are the most important.

    Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your resume's skills section:

    • Include 6-12 skills, in bullet point form
    • List mostly hard skills; soft skills are hard to test
    • Emphasize the skills that are most important for the job

    Hard skills are generally more important to hiring managers because they relate to on-the-job knowledge and specific experience with a certain technology or process.

    Soft skills are also valuable, as they're highly transferable and make you a great person to work alongside, but they're impossible to prove on a resume.

    Example of skills to include on an journalist resume

    • News Stories Skills.
       

      News Story is a term that is quite self-explanatory as it refers to all the information that is recorded either in writing or as an interview and aims to inform the public about any particular matter, event, idea or mishap. A news story can be very short as well lengthy depending on the type and quantity of content and consist of relevant facts and figures.

    • Multimedia Skills.
       

      Multimedia is a growing developmental career in the digital, information, and technology industry. It entails the creation of content in text, visual, audio, and animations. Information and technology keep changing, and companies are actively searching for candidates with the right skills and expertise to meet up with these growing changes. These skills include graphic design, content creation, copy and scriptwriting, photography, Adobe creative suite, web content, video production, Html, voice-over, photoshop, CAD, XML, and audiovisual formatting/layout

    Top Skills for a Journalist

    • News Stories, 15.4%
    • Multimedia, 11.4%
    • Story Development, 11.1%
    • Local Community, 6.9%
    • Other Skills, 55.2%
    Not sure which skills are really important?
    3 Big Tips For Listing Skills On Your Resume
  4. 4

    4. List your journalist experience

    The most important part of any resume for a journalist is the experience section. Recruiters and hiring managers expect to see your experience listed in reverse chronological order, meaning that you should begin with your most recent experience and then work backwards.

    Don't just list your job duties below each job entry. Instead, make sure most of your bullet points discuss impressive achievements from your past positions. Whenever you can, use numbers to contextualize your accomplishments for the hiring manager reading your resume.

    It's okay if you can't include exact percentages or dollar figures. There's a big difference even between saying "Managed a team of journalists" and "Managed a team of 6 journalists over a 9-month project. "

    Most importantly, make sure that the experience you include is relevant to the job you're applying for. Use the job description to ensure that each bullet point on your resume is appropriate and helpful.

    What experience really stands out on Journalist resumes?

    David FaldetDavid Faldet LinkedIn Profile

    Professor, Luther College

    Number one, employers want to see initiative, but they want to see that you know how to work within an organization, too. They are also looking for skills older employees may lack, such as ease with social media or new technologies. Finally, even though they may hire you for your youth, they may be ten, twenty, or thirty years older than you, and they want to feel you understand and can talk to them. That will matter a lot.
    Don't have any experience?
    How To Show Your Experience On a Resume... Even When You Don't Have Any
    Work History Example # 1
    Journalist
    Paddock Publications
    • Researched, wrote, proofread and edited story copy under 11 p.m. deadline.
    • Filmed footage using Canon DSLR cameras and edited with Final Cut Pro for online presentations.
    • Developed stories in print for publication on a variety of topics and interests for American Media Inc owned publications.
    • Edited articles for the Toledo City Paper Used Adobe InDesign CS3 and Adobe PhotoShop CS3 to create graphics for the website.
    • Participated in proofreading copy and story placement decisions.
    Work History Example # 2
    Broadcast Journalist
    Air National Guard
    • Produced quality packages on a variety of topics including crime, government announcements and the global financial crises within deadlines.
    • Coordinated communications campaigns across units and departments.
    • Supported base-level, technical, contingency, reconnaissance, aerial mapping, special mission production, or combat requirements.
    • Maintained constant communication with editors and supervisors
    • Utilized desktop and electronic publishing, graphic design, page layout and multimedia software to help create content.
    Work History Example # 3
    Video Journalist
    RCN
    • Promoted 6 shows to local market weekly using social media outlets such as Instagram and Facebook.
    • Downloaded and edited photographs using Adobe Photoshop.
    • Produced original content for the university located on the production company's YouTube channel.
    • Reported on West End happenings via video blogging and the West End Magazine YouTube channel.
    • Developed innovative digital strategies, such as weekly blogs and Twitter highlights, which increased page views and reader engagement
    Work History Example # 4
    Journalist
    TheStreet
    • Managed personal and company-wide social media outlets including Facebook and Twitter.
    • Produced and voiced features and did live hits for L.A. Marathon which aired on 790 KABC Talk Radio
    • Utilized SEO best-practice strategies to help increase readership and time on page.
    • Worked with HTML and Moveable Type.
    • Used iWork to create HTML and PDF documents.
  5. 5

    5. Highlight journalist certifications on your resume

    Specific journalist certifications can be a powerful tool to show employers you've developed the appropriate skills.

    If you have any of these certifications, make sure to put them on your journalist resume:

    1. Certified Journalism Educator (CJE)
    2. Certified Medical Interpreter - Spanish (CMI)
    3. Certified Blockchain & Digital Marketing Professional
  6. 6

    6. Finally, add an journalist resume summary or objective statement

    A resume summary statement consists of 1-3 sentences at the top of your journalist resume that quickly summarizes who you are and what you have to offer. The summary statement should include your job title, years of experience (if it's 3+), and an impressive accomplishment, if you have space for it.

    Remember to emphasize skills and experiences that feature in the job description.

    Are you a recent grad?
    Read our guide on how to write a resume summary statement

Common journalist resume skills

  • News Stories
  • Multimedia
  • Story Development
  • Local Community
  • Edit Video
  • Local News
  • Develop Story Ideas
  • Facebook
  • Photography
  • Twitter
  • News Coverage
  • Instagram
  • SEO
  • Writing Articles
  • News Reports
  • Editorial Style
  • Social Media Sites
  • Newsgathering
  • HTML
  • ABC
  • Web Site
  • Conduct Interviews
  • Feature Stories
  • Event Coverage
  • Adobe Premiere
  • News Content
  • Investigative Journalism
  • News Articles
  • Local Stories
  • News Events
  • Community Events
  • Press Releases
  • News Tips
  • Hard News
  • YouTube
  • Fiction
  • Local Events
  • Blogging
  • International News
  • Indesign
  • ENPS
  • Blog Posts
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Press Conferences
  • Editorials
  • Human Interest Stories
  • Web Content

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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