Journalist Jobs in Washington, DC

Washington Journalism Jobs Overview

In today’s culture of accelerated app usage, instant gratification, and clickbaiting for page views, journalists need to keep one underlying directive in mind: adaptation. There’s ever-growing competition for attention playing out in the digital space, with social media, legacy publications, and new media all battling it out. Hence, those who can integrate their journalistic acuity with tech proficiencies will get the best journalism jobs.

Do you have an inquisitive mind? Are you a good writer who isn’t afraid to ask tough questions and do the legwork? Do you enjoy delving into datasets to extract the right information? Then you may want to jump into a journalism career. Your daily schedule will have you pitching story ideas; researching documents and archives to synthesize facts; making calls to gather quotes or schedule interviews; hitting the field to observe and report; strapping yourself to your desk to pump out articles on-deadline; and working with your editor on revisions before going to press.

You can expand your search for media jobs by checking out these similar positions:

About Working in Washington, D.C.

Looking for the cosmopolitan city life? Washington, D.C., has it all—combining history, politics, and culture to generate a distinctively energized metro atmosphere. And there's much more to the nation's capital than governmental concerns. Locals will tell you how well-developed the city is, with high-caliber museums (and architectural feats within and bordering the National Mall), loads of restaurants to satisfy any true foodie, convenient public transportation, and opportunities for green-space adventures in national and state parks right outside the urban core.

Washington, D.C., jobs are also expected to grow by 33.7% in the next 10 years (a faster rate than the U.S. average of 33.5%), so now's a great time to make a career move. Cost of living is higher than the national average, but that isn't unusual, given the nature of the location (and you're likely to find a higher-paying job here as well). Additionally, employment and housing possibilities are plentiful in the greater D.C. area, with headquarters for various businesses, corporate sprawls, and government contractors. So you may want to explore nearby Alexandria in Virginia and Bowie, Rockville, and Annapolis in Maryland for further job openings too.

Update Your Washington Journalism Resume

Recruiters for journalism jobs will be looking for a particular set of accomplishments on your resume, so make sure to highlight the following:

• Interviewing skills (and whom you’ve already interviewed and/or profiled).
• The nature of your source list and how many contacts you have within certain industries.
• Any stories that you broke or scoops/exclusives that you brokered.
• Any awards you received for outstanding reporting.

If you’re already concentrating on any specific fields or subject matter, give some examples of how you’ve applied your expertise. But if you’re still feeling jammed, read through our reporter resume sample. You should also include a magnetic cover letter that outlines your journalistic ethos—everything from your storytelling approach and aptness for uncovering stories before others to your ability to protect sources and hold corruptors accountable. Get some pointers from our journalism cover letter.

How Much Do Journalism Jobs Pay in Washington, D.C.?

Got money on your mind? You should! Make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth. Our Salary Tools can help you understand what you can expect to make in journalism jobs in Washington, D.C., as well as the skills that can boost your value and what the next steps in your career might be. Right now, the median reporter pay in Washington is $49,837 per year, which is 18% higher than the national average.

Find Your Next Washington Journalism Job. Monster Can Help Get You Started

Are you prepared for a career in journalism? If so, set up your profile on Monster for free and begin clicking on those journalism jobs. When you sign up with us, you’ll receive custom job alerts and expert advice on how to negotiate your salary in Washington, how to nail your job interview, and more.