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Talk show host vs journalist

The differences between talk show hosts and journalists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a talk show host, becoming a journalist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a journalist has an average salary of $60,828, which is higher than the $49,582 average annual salary of a talk show host.

The top three skills for a talk show host include radio station, hot topics and FCC. The most important skills for a journalist are news stories, multimedia, and story development.

Talk show host vs journalist overview

Talk Show HostJournalist
Yearly salary$49,582$60,828
Hourly rate$23.84$29.24
Growth rate-4%-10%
Number of jobs10,04811,488
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Average age5040
Years of experience42

What does a talk show host do?

Talk show hosts deliver their services on the radio or television. They run a 'talk show' by inviting visitors to entertain the audience by discussing various topics with the talk show host. In general, these professionals run the radio show or television, talk to the audience, talk to the guests, and provide entertainment to all individuals. However, to be a talk show host, you must possess a well-groomed and good look and easily catch the audience's attention. Mostly, the salaries earned by talk show hosts vary from one to another.

What does a journalist do?

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. Journalists should have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, conveying information to the target audience with high accuracy and efficiency. They analyze opinions and testimonies, create eye-catching headlines, and ensure adherence to deadlines.

Talk show host vs journalist salary

Talk show hosts and journalists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Talk Show HostJournalist
Average salary$49,582$60,828
Salary rangeBetween $24,000 And $100,000Between $38,000 And $95,000
Highest paying City-New York, NY
Highest paying state-New York
Best paying company-Bloomberg
Best paying industry-Finance

Differences between talk show host and journalist education

There are a few differences between a talk show host and a journalist in terms of educational background:

Talk Show HostJournalist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 75%Bachelor's Degree, 74%
Most common majorCommunicationJournalism
Most common collegeNorthwestern UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Talk show host vs journalist demographics

Here are the differences between talk show hosts' and journalists' demographics:

Talk Show HostJournalist
Average age5040
Gender ratioMale, 68.3% Female, 31.7%Male, 46.6% Female, 53.4%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 4.0% White, 76.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 6.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.6% Asian, 9.6% White, 66.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between talk show host and journalist duties and responsibilities

Talk show host example responsibilities.

  • Feature as DJ of the month every year for KSDB.
  • Host a weekly radio show and curate weekly song playlists.
  • Help in maintaining social media outlets for the station like Facebook.
  • Produce and appear in daily videos on line and on facebook.
  • Brainstorm and plan promotions for concert ticket giveaways and pre-concert parties in parking lots of venues
  • Provide a play-by-play narrative of games with analysis, statistics, stories, rules and sports history.
  • Show more

Journalist example responsibilities.

  • Manage studio operations, ensuring that shows run efficiently by floor directing, prompting and providing scripts.
  • Partner closely with 13WHAM ABC Rochester.
  • Award regional EMMY for spot news.
  • Edit headline packages, kickers, bumps and topicals.
  • Update stories to web page, twitter, and facebook.
  • Used ENG trucks to distribute live news feeds during broadcasts.
  • Show more

Talk show host vs journalist skills

Common talk show host skills
  • Radio Station, 11%
  • Hot Topics, 11%
  • FCC, 9%
  • FM, 6%
  • Adobe Audition, 6%
  • On-Air Content, 5%
Common journalist skills
  • News Stories, 15%
  • Multimedia, 11%
  • Story Development, 11%
  • Local Community, 7%
  • Edit Video, 5%
  • Local News, 4%

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