How to hire a news photographer/editor

How to hire a news photographer/editor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step news photographer/editor hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the news photographer/editor you need to hire. Certain news photographer/editor roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A news photographer/editor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, news photographer/editors 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of news photographer/editors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of News Photographer/Editor	Description	Hourly rate
   News Photographer/Editor	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.	$14-46
   Correspondent	A Correspondent is the backbone of every news agency today. It is through the correspondent experts write the news of a particular topic... Show more	$24-64
   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:

   • Edit Video
   • Live Shots
   • Adobe Premiere
   • News Coverage
   • Audio Techniques
   • News Gathering
   • News Video
   • ABC
   • Raw Video
   • News Reports
   • Live Truck
   • Clips
   • Feature Stories
   • Newsgathering

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Operate AP NEWSCENTER/ENPS and manage CNN feed services.
   • Review submitted manuscripts, brainstorm & implement promotional strategies, track community involvement, and plan literary events with the editor-in-chief.
   • Market anthology via social media and in person at writing conferences and speculative fiction conventions.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your news photographer/editor job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A news photographer/editor can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, news photographer/editors' average salary in montana is 53% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level news photographer/editors 69% less than senior-level news photographer/editors.
   • Certifications. A news photographer/editor with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a news photographer/editor's salary.

   Average news photographer/editor salary

   $54,576yearly

   $26.24 hourly rate

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   Entry-level news photographer/editor salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a news photographer/editor job description

   A good news photographer/editor job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a news photographer/editor job description:

   News photographer/editor job description example

   OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY
   Fox TV Stations
   
   Fox Television Stations is one of the nation's largest owned-and-operated network broadcast groups, comprising 29 stations in 18 markets and covering over 37% of U.S. television homes. This includes seven duopolies in the top 10 markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Houston; as well as duopolies in Minneapolis, Phoenix, Orlando and Seattle.
   
   JOB DESCRIPTION
   A Photographer/Editor operates camera and editing equipment for the purpose of gathering the news and documenting society. The primary role of the photographer/editor is the comprehensive depiction of the subject at hand. This individual will both shoot and edit material for station broadcasts and operate the equipment responsible for transmitting gathered material back to the station. Candidate will shoot and edit news stories and special events. They must operate live truck and other ENG equipment, as well as establish live shots, as required by the news department. The individual must operate communications equipment in live trucks. They must operate equipment in ENG receive including tuning in microwave and live shots; utilizing machines for record/dub/edit purposes; downlinking satellite transmissions. This person must utilize various communications equipment for both in-house and field communications. This person must also understand the use of good lighting, photographic, audio and editing techniques as required in the production of quality news. Must have ability to help plan major event coverage including site checks, troubleshooting and follow-up. Perform other duties as deemed appropriate and as assigned.
   
   Bachelor's degree or equivalent in communications, journalism or broadcasting required. Minimum of five years' experience as a news photographer/editor. Knowledge of basic journalism and digital production techniques. Experience with the operation of a P2 camera, P2 editing equipment, and non-linear experience. Demonstrated ability to work as a team with other journalists. Must have an understanding of how to utilize social media to gain more newscast viewers and draw more consumers to fox2detroit.com and the Fox 2 Facebook page. A geographical and/or historical knowledge of Metro Detroit is a plus. Must have a valid driver's license.
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable law.
   
   At FOX, we foster a culture and environment where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. We are deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent across our company. We live in a diverse world, with different ideas and different perspectives that come together to spark new ideas and make great things happen. That means reflecting the diversity of the world around us is critical to our company's success. We ensure that our viewers, communities and employees feel heard, represented, and celebrated both on screen and off.Click here to learn more about the diverse communities of people behind our brands.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right news photographer/editor 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 news photographer/editors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit news photographer/editors 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 news photographer/editor job on Zippia to find and attract quality news photographer/editor candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as problogger, media bistro, journalismjobs.com, content writing jobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with news photographer/editor candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 news photographer/editor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the news photographer/editor position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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 news photographer/editor first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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