Table of Contents

newspaper reporter

In a new study released by CareerCast.com, 200 jobs were ranked to identify the best and worst jobs of 2013. If you're a newspaper reporter, you won't like the results. Ranked in last place (at #200) and earning recognition as having the worst job of 2013, newspaper reporters have high stress, little stability, and low pay.The study was compiled using data from the Department of Labor and other government organizations and non-government associations. Each job was ranked using a set of four factors: environment, income, outlook, and stress.CareerCast.com explains that newspaper reporter came in last place (down from position 196 in the 2012 list) and ranked as the worst job of 2013 as a result of shrinking budgets and shrinking newsrooms. The number of reporter jobs is expected to fall another 6% by 2020, and according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, reporter pay will decrease as well.At the same time, traditional newspapers face increasing competition from online news sources, particularly authoritative content sources. Newspaper reporters are feeling the effects of that competition as more and more consumers abandon newspapers for real-time online news and information.According to CareerCast.com, the Newspaper Association of America estimates the newspaper industry earned $23.9 billion in 2011, which is half of what it earned just five years earlier. During that time many newspapers shut down and others shifted to digital formats. Naturally, many reporters lost their jobs or saw their salaries cut as those earnings fell. According to The Wall Street Journal, the median salary for reporters in 2010 was just $36,000 and that number has declined each year since then.It's important to point out that some newspaper reporters can transition to other media, including online publications. However, online reporters face their own set of problems. CareerCast.com points out that digital reporters are often paid even lower wages and are required to produce larger amounts of content at a much faster rate. In other words, a digital reporter has a high-stress job with a disproportionately low wage.On the flip-side, social and community managers ranked in 39th place on the list of Best and Worst Jobs of 2013. Again, this demonstrates the changing environment where consumers have become more dependent on online sources.At the top of the list of best jobs of 2013 are actuary, biomedical engineer, software engineer, audiologist, and financial planner. At the bottom and ranking as the worst jobs of 2013 are newspaper reporter, lumberjack, enlisted military personnel, actor, and oil rig worker.Image: Kay Pat

More blog posts

No items found.
No items found.