Graduating in the not-so-distant, future, Im looking for some advice on what to expect as an entry level reporter, besides the 94% chance of working as a one-man-band. What should I expect in pay and benefits, and what should I expect or ask for as far as allowences? Currently, I have a few connections up at News 10 Now in Syracuse, and I'm intereted in starting off in one of their bureaus. Do you think working at a local 24/7 station is a good idea? Also, what should I expect in compensation format, as far as salaried with available overtime. In your honest opinion, let me know what YOU would accept at a minimum level starting off as a reporter in the Northeast. Thanks, and feel free to let me know your past experiences.
What should an entry level reporter expect?
- Thread starter bw3508
- Start date
Baltimore Shooter
Well-known member
You can expect long hours, low pay and no chance for advancement. 
Warren
Warren
pre-set
Well-known member
You will most likely make something in the neighborhood of $20-$26 thousand, if you're lucky. Forget a clothing allowance or any of that foolishness - our reporters in Market 8 don't even get that.
You'll work hard, you'll (hopefully) learn the stuff you can't learn in school about being a reporter, you'll be poor and you'll be paying your dues.
Grind away 4-8 years in small and medium market sweatshops like that and you'll be ready to hit a larger market sometime around 2016 or so.
Sound tough? It's supposed to be. That helps to weed out the idiots who think the world will just be handed to them on a platter upon graduation.
You'll work hard, you'll (hopefully) learn the stuff you can't learn in school about being a reporter, you'll be poor and you'll be paying your dues.
Grind away 4-8 years in small and medium market sweatshops like that and you'll be ready to hit a larger market sometime around 2016 or so.
Sound tough? It's supposed to be. That helps to weed out the idiots who think the world will just be handed to them on a platter upon graduation.
Yep....
Been one man banding in college for a while now, do a live hit once a week and held my first internship at an abc affiliate when I was 17. I guess one of my main concerns is working at a 24/7 bureau like News 10 Now. I mean, I love the work and I know there will be a lot of it there, but are there any pros or cons to working at a 24/7 than a traditional station?
Been one man banding in college for a while now, do a live hit once a week and held my first internship at an abc affiliate when I was 17. I guess one of my main concerns is working at a 24/7 bureau like News 10 Now. I mean, I love the work and I know there will be a lot of it there, but are there any pros or cons to working at a 24/7 than a traditional station?
NEWSSHOOTER3
Well-known member
Get your foot in the door that fits best. I would hope that you could get 30K. A lot of work...? Try the probability of being consumed by your work. It will happen... if you let it. This business requires that a good gut feeling, that doesn't usually turn out to be just indigestion!
Yeah, look in medium market. I might even suggest KTBS, in Shreveport, La. Two sat. trucks (that NEVER stay parked) and 4 microwave trucks. ABC/CW-Duopoly/ 24/7-Cable news channel. Best toys in the market.
Be aggressive, but not too aggressive. LISTEN to what people are saying. And, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS listen the the advice of a photojournalist!
Good luck!
Yeah, look in medium market. I might even suggest KTBS, in Shreveport, La. Two sat. trucks (that NEVER stay parked) and 4 microwave trucks. ABC/CW-Duopoly/ 24/7-Cable news channel. Best toys in the market.
Be aggressive, but not too aggressive. LISTEN to what people are saying. And, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS listen the the advice of a photojournalist!
Good luck!
Dink
Well-known member
I think that estimate is probably too high by $2000 to $8000. For an entry level recent college grad, I would expect around $18K. $20K would be considered lucky.
lawyers, teachers & gas station managers will make more $$$ than you
no offense newshooter, but 30k??? that is really really funny.
bw3508, if you want to see if a possible new boss has a sense of humor, ask for $30k & then start laughing out loud to let them know that you're not crazy.
I started out in a 150+ market, shooters started at $17,500 / hourly (so about $500-$1,000 extra in over time), reporters at $20,000 / salary + aprox $200-$400 clothing allowance + the station paid for hair styling.
then I went to a 75+ market where all the shooters & reporters had prior experience. shooters $20,000 / hourly, reporters $21,000 /hourly + styling + clothing allowance
oh yeah, these wages are w/in the last couple years, not a couple decades ago. (when I started shooting my girlfriend, who was a public school teacher & who graduated at the same time, made TWICE what I did.)
benefit wise... each company is different, but all full time gigs should give health, dental & possibly a 401k. I've had to wait 30-90 days from the date of hire for insurance to kick in & then had to kick in $20-$70 per paycheck for the premium.
vacation wise, if you're lucky you might start "earning" 1 day of vacation for every 5 weeks you work from the date of hire. if you're a bit unlucky, you won't earn a single vacation day until you've worked 12-15 months.
each company has very different policies for time off, insurance, etc. every news director & chief photog I've worked for only knew about 1/2 of the "job" questions I had. make sure you ask about all these "job" questions before you accept an offer. before I took my current position, I talked to the HR person about 2-3 times which saved me a couple surprises down the road. (I highly recommend talking w/ someone in HR w/ any questions you have before taking a new job)
also when you work in the business "holiday" means 1 of 2 things.
A - the slowest, most boring day you could think of.
B - a real life horror story w/ lots of dead people.
(short example... one christmas day the most productive thing I did while at work was push the sports anchor's car out of a snow bank. the next easter - 2 people die in a plane crash; 2 people & a dog are struck & killed by a train; & some lady is pushed out of a moving car on the interstate. 'planes, trains & automobiles' is a holiday movie AND a real life horror holiday)
the last thing "holiday" means is "day off" (unless it is some freak of nature & your normal days off fall on a holiday & your boss doesn't change your schedule)
MOSTLY Mostly mostly... the most important thing is the people you'd be working for & with. (this is a team job) NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, '24/7' doesn't matter, it is the individual people you'll be working with on a daily basis that will make or break your day.
ther are people that I've worked with that hate coming into work everyday & they have made my life worse b/c all they did was complain about pay/co-workers/benefits/equipment. it takes 12 to 50+ people to put -ONE- newscast on the air. & if just -ONE- person doesn't do their job EVERYONE looks bad.
no offense newshooter, but 30k??? that is really really funny.
bw3508, if you want to see if a possible new boss has a sense of humor, ask for $30k & then start laughing out loud to let them know that you're not crazy.
I started out in a 150+ market, shooters started at $17,500 / hourly (so about $500-$1,000 extra in over time), reporters at $20,000 / salary + aprox $200-$400 clothing allowance + the station paid for hair styling.
then I went to a 75+ market where all the shooters & reporters had prior experience. shooters $20,000 / hourly, reporters $21,000 /hourly + styling + clothing allowance
oh yeah, these wages are w/in the last couple years, not a couple decades ago. (when I started shooting my girlfriend, who was a public school teacher & who graduated at the same time, made TWICE what I did.)
benefit wise... each company is different, but all full time gigs should give health, dental & possibly a 401k. I've had to wait 30-90 days from the date of hire for insurance to kick in & then had to kick in $20-$70 per paycheck for the premium.
vacation wise, if you're lucky you might start "earning" 1 day of vacation for every 5 weeks you work from the date of hire. if you're a bit unlucky, you won't earn a single vacation day until you've worked 12-15 months.
each company has very different policies for time off, insurance, etc. every news director & chief photog I've worked for only knew about 1/2 of the "job" questions I had. make sure you ask about all these "job" questions before you accept an offer. before I took my current position, I talked to the HR person about 2-3 times which saved me a couple surprises down the road. (I highly recommend talking w/ someone in HR w/ any questions you have before taking a new job)
also when you work in the business "holiday" means 1 of 2 things.
A - the slowest, most boring day you could think of.
B - a real life horror story w/ lots of dead people.
(short example... one christmas day the most productive thing I did while at work was push the sports anchor's car out of a snow bank. the next easter - 2 people die in a plane crash; 2 people & a dog are struck & killed by a train; & some lady is pushed out of a moving car on the interstate. 'planes, trains & automobiles' is a holiday movie AND a real life horror holiday)
the last thing "holiday" means is "day off" (unless it is some freak of nature & your normal days off fall on a holiday & your boss doesn't change your schedule)
MOSTLY Mostly mostly... the most important thing is the people you'd be working for & with. (this is a team job) NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, '24/7' doesn't matter, it is the individual people you'll be working with on a daily basis that will make or break your day.
ther are people that I've worked with that hate coming into work everyday & they have made my life worse b/c all they did was complain about pay/co-workers/benefits/equipment. it takes 12 to 50+ people to put -ONE- newscast on the air. & if just -ONE- person doesn't do their job EVERYONE looks bad.
Dink
Well-known member
Yep, Rocky pretty much nailed it.
On the benefits, don't expect too much. The insurance will be adequate, but not great. Don't expect dental or vision to be included.
At some stations you may not get any vacation for the entire first year you work there. Some will give you half your vacation after six months. A few will let you earn it as you go. Don't expect more than two weeks per year. You will probably get a sick day allowance in addition to vacation, but you'll be discouraged from using them.
Also, expect to be forced to work extra hours without overtime. Under Bush's recent overtime changes, you're supposed to get overtime if you make under a certain amount ($26K, I think), but television stations have ALWAYS screwed reporters out of overtime by claiming that as salaried contract workers they were exempt. That's never been true. Stations get away with it, however, because the only way to file a claim against them is to take the job anyway, keep track of all your overtime and go after them when you leave. You can't report them before you take the job, and most people are so busy trying to move to the next job when they leave that it isn't worth the effort for them. I have seen reporters work as much as 60 hours per week for a flat salary; most seem to put in 45 to 50 hours.
Oh, yeah, contracts. You may or may not have to sign a contract for your first gig. The majority of teevee stations force their reporters to sign contracts of at least a year, often for two or three years. Unfortunately, as an entry level candidate you won't have much bargaining power, but try to negotiate the best deal you can. It's generally better to have a shorter contract, so that you can move up to a bigger market more quickly if you have the talent.
You should also try to get the biggest range of "outs" you can. The outs in a contract are the markets to which you can move and have the station allow you to break your contract. For example, suppose you work in market 150 and have a "100 out" clause in your contract. That means that if you get a job offer in market 90, your current station has to release you from your contract to take it. If you get a job offer in market 110, they aren't required to let you out of it. Outs have gotten smaller over the years, as stations in bigger markets have become more willing to hire people with less experience. Thus, you may find that even in a very small market like 150, the best you can get is a 30 out.
On this board, we're mostly a bunch of photogs. There are a few reporters that hang around here, but you'll have much better luck with your questions if you'll post them on a board frequented by more reporters. I would try the free Medialine forum, and maybe TVSpy.com (although that's now a pay service).
On the benefits, don't expect too much. The insurance will be adequate, but not great. Don't expect dental or vision to be included.
At some stations you may not get any vacation for the entire first year you work there. Some will give you half your vacation after six months. A few will let you earn it as you go. Don't expect more than two weeks per year. You will probably get a sick day allowance in addition to vacation, but you'll be discouraged from using them.
Also, expect to be forced to work extra hours without overtime. Under Bush's recent overtime changes, you're supposed to get overtime if you make under a certain amount ($26K, I think), but television stations have ALWAYS screwed reporters out of overtime by claiming that as salaried contract workers they were exempt. That's never been true. Stations get away with it, however, because the only way to file a claim against them is to take the job anyway, keep track of all your overtime and go after them when you leave. You can't report them before you take the job, and most people are so busy trying to move to the next job when they leave that it isn't worth the effort for them. I have seen reporters work as much as 60 hours per week for a flat salary; most seem to put in 45 to 50 hours.
Oh, yeah, contracts. You may or may not have to sign a contract for your first gig. The majority of teevee stations force their reporters to sign contracts of at least a year, often for two or three years. Unfortunately, as an entry level candidate you won't have much bargaining power, but try to negotiate the best deal you can. It's generally better to have a shorter contract, so that you can move up to a bigger market more quickly if you have the talent.
You should also try to get the biggest range of "outs" you can. The outs in a contract are the markets to which you can move and have the station allow you to break your contract. For example, suppose you work in market 150 and have a "100 out" clause in your contract. That means that if you get a job offer in market 90, your current station has to release you from your contract to take it. If you get a job offer in market 110, they aren't required to let you out of it. Outs have gotten smaller over the years, as stations in bigger markets have become more willing to hire people with less experience. Thus, you may find that even in a very small market like 150, the best you can get is a 30 out.
On this board, we're mostly a bunch of photogs. There are a few reporters that hang around here, but you'll have much better luck with your questions if you'll post them on a board frequented by more reporters. I would try the free Medialine forum, and maybe TVSpy.com (although that's now a pay service).
Dink
Well-known member
On the outs, you can sometimes negotiate an out for a specific market that is outside the regular range. For example, suppose you get a job in Odessa, TX, and the ND will only give you a 30 out (or none at all). You might say, "But I've always wanted to work in Syracuse. Can I get an out for the Syracuse market, even though it's outside the top 30?" Sometimes stations will allow you specific market outs like that if you have ties to a particular market.
One scam of which you should be aware is the company outs. Some stations will make a big deal out of how they'll let you out of your contract if you get offered a job at another station owned by the same company. They tell you how their company owns stations in bigger cities and try to imply that it's a ready made career path.
The dark side of that is that within a company, it's easy for your manager to sabotage the hiring process. Normally all questions about you from other stations have to be handled by HR departments, and they really can't say much about you other than to verify you work there. If the ND at the station to which you're applying calls your station, your ND usually won't be able to talk to him. The exception is inside the same company, where they can talk to each other, because they're basically managers in the same company discussing a mutual employee.
So your ND makes a big deal out of how the company owns stations in top 50 markets. But when you actually get a look from one of those stations, he may tell them you suck, just to keep you around until the end of your contract. I worked at a Fox O&O where the ND actually called the ND at the Fox station in Atlanta after a reporter had given her notice and got the other station to rescind the offer so that she couldn't leave. She couldn't really sue him for tampering with her job search, because it was all internal Fox management maneuvering.
Not that this situation will affect you for at least another year; but when they start selling you on their other stations as outs, don't buy into it as anything special.
Other things you can ask for:
Clothing allowance. Chances are good you won't get it at an entry level station. But it doesn't hurt to ask. Stations will often give reporters a clothing allowance because it makes the station look better if the reporter looks better. One thing you should understand is that a clothing allowance is taxable income, even if the station tells you it isn't. There's a lot of confusion on that point. It's really just part of your salary, except that you get it in a lump sum, almost like a bonus.
Hair/makeup allowance. Again, chances are good you won't get it as an entry level candidate. But as you move up, these things will become part of your contract.
Moving expenses. It is customary in the higher markets for a station to pay some or all of a new employees expenses to move to that market, and it can be a sign of a cheap ass station when one doesn't offer that. However, entry level stations in small markets generally don't offer moving expenses. You can still ask.
You need to remember to READ your contract. Every word. If there's something you don't understand, or something that sounds odd to you, get it checked out by a lawyer, even at the entry level. Don't EVER take the station's word for what something in a contract means. The ND may not even know what it means. This document is going to rule your life for the next 12, 24 or 36 months, so make sure you aren't signing your life away.
Then again, there are still many small stations that don't even bother signing reporters to a contract, so in the end none of this may even apply to you.
Another thing that just came to mind is the company vehicle. Reporters even in larger markets usually don't get the use of a company car, except for one man bands. Even in small markets, one man bands should have the use of a station vehicle when out on stories. You should never have to drive yourself to your stories. We do a LOT of driving in this business, and it's the bad kind of mileage (city driving, lots of starts and stops) that end up on the vehicles. You will simply use up your car if you drive it for work, not to mention that the insurance will go up. As a new reporter, you probably won't be able to afford a new car payment and higher insurance. You may not get to take the car home, but I would think twice and twice again before taking a job where I would have to drive my own car. You should ASK about that when you interview, because some people don't find out about that until they move and show up for work.
You REALLY need to be talking to reporters about this stuff. Again, I would highly suggest you post your question on the J Forum at Medialine.
One scam of which you should be aware is the company outs. Some stations will make a big deal out of how they'll let you out of your contract if you get offered a job at another station owned by the same company. They tell you how their company owns stations in bigger cities and try to imply that it's a ready made career path.
The dark side of that is that within a company, it's easy for your manager to sabotage the hiring process. Normally all questions about you from other stations have to be handled by HR departments, and they really can't say much about you other than to verify you work there. If the ND at the station to which you're applying calls your station, your ND usually won't be able to talk to him. The exception is inside the same company, where they can talk to each other, because they're basically managers in the same company discussing a mutual employee.
So your ND makes a big deal out of how the company owns stations in top 50 markets. But when you actually get a look from one of those stations, he may tell them you suck, just to keep you around until the end of your contract. I worked at a Fox O&O where the ND actually called the ND at the Fox station in Atlanta after a reporter had given her notice and got the other station to rescind the offer so that she couldn't leave. She couldn't really sue him for tampering with her job search, because it was all internal Fox management maneuvering.
Not that this situation will affect you for at least another year; but when they start selling you on their other stations as outs, don't buy into it as anything special.
Other things you can ask for:
Clothing allowance. Chances are good you won't get it at an entry level station. But it doesn't hurt to ask. Stations will often give reporters a clothing allowance because it makes the station look better if the reporter looks better. One thing you should understand is that a clothing allowance is taxable income, even if the station tells you it isn't. There's a lot of confusion on that point. It's really just part of your salary, except that you get it in a lump sum, almost like a bonus.
Hair/makeup allowance. Again, chances are good you won't get it as an entry level candidate. But as you move up, these things will become part of your contract.
Moving expenses. It is customary in the higher markets for a station to pay some or all of a new employees expenses to move to that market, and it can be a sign of a cheap ass station when one doesn't offer that. However, entry level stations in small markets generally don't offer moving expenses. You can still ask.
You need to remember to READ your contract. Every word. If there's something you don't understand, or something that sounds odd to you, get it checked out by a lawyer, even at the entry level. Don't EVER take the station's word for what something in a contract means. The ND may not even know what it means. This document is going to rule your life for the next 12, 24 or 36 months, so make sure you aren't signing your life away.
Then again, there are still many small stations that don't even bother signing reporters to a contract, so in the end none of this may even apply to you.
Another thing that just came to mind is the company vehicle. Reporters even in larger markets usually don't get the use of a company car, except for one man bands. Even in small markets, one man bands should have the use of a station vehicle when out on stories. You should never have to drive yourself to your stories. We do a LOT of driving in this business, and it's the bad kind of mileage (city driving, lots of starts and stops) that end up on the vehicles. You will simply use up your car if you drive it for work, not to mention that the insurance will go up. As a new reporter, you probably won't be able to afford a new car payment and higher insurance. You may not get to take the car home, but I would think twice and twice again before taking a job where I would have to drive my own car. You should ASK about that when you interview, because some people don't find out about that until they move and show up for work.
You REALLY need to be talking to reporters about this stuff. Again, I would highly suggest you post your question on the J Forum at Medialine.
Dink
Well-known member
Like an idiot, I wrote this:
What I meant was that you should never have to drive your own car to your stories. Oh, you'll do your share of driving. Just make sure it's in a company car and not your own car.
What I meant was that you should never have to drive your own car to your stories. Oh, you'll do your share of driving. Just make sure it's in a company car and not your own car.
villagevidiot
Well-known member
Well Said!
pinecone
Well-known member
And think of your entry level job as "paid graduate school". That will put you in the right frame of mind for the hardships you will come upon.
If you "graduate" from entry level market "school" you might make decent money at your next stop.
Dink
Well-known member
Yeah, but "decent money" means something different in television from the rest of the economy. There's a good chance this kid won't break $30K until his third (or possibly fourth) job and after four or five years in the business. I knew some decent reporters in market 109 who were still making low to mid $20s after six years in the biz. Sure, that was several years ago, but I doubt the salaries in the small and mid markets have come up very much.
Bw3508's original question was: "What should an entry level reporter expect?" The answer is pain, irritation and poverty. A lot of young reporters get out of school and start buying things they think they need on credit, believing that they'll "catch up" in a couple of years when they move to the next job. It doesn't work that way. You need to plan to be poor for several years; plan to be poor until you actually land the job where you aren't. Don't get married and start having kids, don't buy the new car, don't buy the nice stereo or television, hell, don't even get cable. Don't try to live the American dream, because you gave up on that when you decided to become a television reporter.
I remember watching this one poor guy talking with a collection agent stand up in the middle of our newsroom and scream into the phone: "I told you people not to call me at work! Leave me alone!" Turns out he owed over $10K in credit card bills he couldn't afford. Don't end up being that guy. Ramen is your friend.
Yea, Ramen is my new friend. Thanks for everyone's imput. I registered for MediaLine a few days ago, and they still haven't 'processed' my application. One thing though, If you could say one thing, what would you want all rookie reporters to know when it comes to going out in the field with a photog.
Sportsguy
Well-known member
At my place, if we have to drive the personal car anywhere, we get $.40/mile. I think that's pretty good, even with gas prices being what they are. Usually, I end up making a pretty good check from it if I do significant distances.
Sportsguy
Well-known member
The reporter is not the story.
F4 Fan
Well-known member
Teamwork
One thing I would say to a new reporter just starting out is …we work as a team. Can’t stress that enough.
We (and I mean the producers and editors in our bureau) get an awful lot of incomplete information regarding stories. As a reporter, a great deal of your responsibilities when dealing with photographers and editors, is to get us the who, what, where, when and why’s to a story. Important elements not only for the viewing audience but also for the people who will be crafting the story.
No one member of the team is the be-all and end-all in the reporting process; sure it’s the reporters face out there, and part of our job to make them look and sound as good as possible. But the bottom line is that we inform and educate our audience to the best of all our abilities.
Oh yeah, try to avoid the habit of falling into clichés, way too much of that in television news already.
One thing I would say to a new reporter just starting out is …we work as a team. Can’t stress that enough.
We (and I mean the producers and editors in our bureau) get an awful lot of incomplete information regarding stories. As a reporter, a great deal of your responsibilities when dealing with photographers and editors, is to get us the who, what, where, when and why’s to a story. Important elements not only for the viewing audience but also for the people who will be crafting the story.
No one member of the team is the be-all and end-all in the reporting process; sure it’s the reporters face out there, and part of our job to make them look and sound as good as possible. But the bottom line is that we inform and educate our audience to the best of all our abilities.
Oh yeah, try to avoid the habit of falling into clichés, way too much of that in television news already.