Gakken × Asahi Shimbun Kids Net

reporter

They go out to the scene of an event or incident and report what they have covered on TV or radio broadcasts. The ability to speak in one's own words in an easy-to-understand manner within a limited amount of time is required.

Perfect For …

A person who has the ability to take action. A person who can convey his/her thoughts to others in an easy-to-understand manner. People who like to talk with others. People who are confident in their physical strength.

Job Details

Communicate in words what you saw at the event or incident.

A reporter's job is to report on the scene of an incident on TV or radio programs. The content of the report can vary from politics, entertainment, sports, gourmet food, and so on. The first step in the workflow is to gather information and materials on the subject to be covered and study them. Next, they go to the actual site and proceed to interview the people concerned in cooperation with the staff. Then, they organize the information obtained during the interviews and report it in the program. The interviews may be recorded and edited for broadcast, or they may be broadcast live from the scene. The important point of a reporter's job is "how much information that the viewers and listeners would want to know in a limited amount of time can be conveyed in their own words in an easy-to-understand manner. In addition, sometimes the planned content is changed as a result of the coverage. Especially when reporting live on air in response to questions from the newscaster or announcer in the studio, a flexible response is required. In addition, in order to provide accurate information, they sometimes travel to the scene of disasters or battlefields. They must always be interested in the subject they are covering, have good communication skills to get important information out of them, and be approachable enough to empathize with people watching TV and radio.

Key Points !

Join a TV station, radio station, or entertainment production company.

There are no specific qualifications to become a reporter. Most reporters are TV or radio announcers, news reporters, freelance announcers, or TV personalities. If you want to become an announcer at a TV or radio station or a reporter in the news department, join a TV or radio station. If you are successful, you may be assigned as a reporter. If you want to become a freelance announcer, join an entertainment production company, or study at a vocational school to improve your skills as an announcer or reporter. The same is true for TV personalities who aim to appear on TV programs as reporters. Some sports reporters are former athletes. However, it is a tough world because you have to pass an audition to get a job.

Develop proper speaking and language skills, physical fitness and cooperation.

Although there are no qualifications to become a reporter, there are some skills that can be acquired and applied to the job through repeated study for certification. One such certification is the "Test of Speaking Ability" conducted by the "Institute for the Study of Spoken Japanese. The test evaluates the knowledge and skills necessary to become a correct and beautiful speaker of Japanese, and is therefore a practical qualification for reporters, who are required to speak correctly and clearly. Language skills may also be useful for those who go to foreign countries to report on events there. On the other hand, a reporter's work schedule is often irregular, with meetings starting early in the morning and finishing late at night, or arriving at the scene of a disaster in the middle of the night. The reporter's job, which may seem to have a cheerful image, requires a surprisingly high level of physical strength. It also requires a cooperative spirit that values teamwork with the reporting staff.

In the Future

Information organization and in-depth knowledge are keys to success in the industry.

Reporters have their own specialty, whether it be entertainment, sports, food, or travel. How much and how deeply they acquire this information will make the difference between success and failure. Never failing to collect information and increasing one's extensive network of contacts will be a reporter's strength and the key to a long and successful career. Currently, TV programs can be enjoyed not only through terrestrial, satellite, and cable TV (cable broadcasting), but also through TVer (the official TV portal of commercial broadcasters), a video distribution service for PCs and smartphones. Radio also has "Internet Radio," which is distributed via the Internet. In the future, we may see an increase in the number of programs in which reporters play an active role in such Internet-based media.

Job Facts

Income.

For announcers, the average annual salary is 4.1-5.3 million yen. Fees for freelance announcers and TV personalities as reporters vary from person to person. Those with lots of experience earn more.

Vacation?

It is not set in stone. Especially in the case of a successful artist, he or she travels around the country on a daily basis.

Where do you work?

TV stations, radio stations, entertainment offices, crime scenes, event sites, and other coverage sites around the country.

Your Future Path

It's a chart that shows at a glance the main routes to getting a job as a reporter!

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