News Directors: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of news directors about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for news directors to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of news directors expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for news directors.
What Education & Experience is Needed for News Directors?
Do news directors need a degree? What kind of experience do news directors typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for news directors to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for News Directors
Jobs Postings for News Directors By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 7,778 (53%)
- No Education Listed: 5,286 (36%)
- Master's degree: 867 (6%)
- High School or GED: 581 (4%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 54 (0%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of news directors. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 53% of positions. In 36% of job listings no education level was listed and in 6% of postings a master's degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for News Directors
Jobs Postings for News Directors By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 1,365 (19%)
- 2-3 Years: 4,440 (61%)
- 4-6 Years: 1,303 (18%)
- 7-9 Years: 122 (2%)
- 10+ Years: 64 (1%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for news directors. In 61% of job postings for News Directors, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 19% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 18% of job postings for news directors.
What Kind of Degree Do News Directors Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for news directors, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 23 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective news directors, and in 2023 a total of 130,532 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective news directors.
Top Degree Programs for News Directors
Top 5 Degree Programs for News Directors (2023)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| English Language and Literature, General. | 35,412 |
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric. | 33,262 |
| Communication, General. | 11,220 |
| Journalism. | 10,005 |
| Mass Communication/Media Studies. | 9,221 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| English Language and Literature, General. | 35,412 |
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric. | 33,262 |
| Communication, General. | 11,220 |
| Journalism. | 10,005 |
| Mass Communication/Media Studies. | 9,221 |
| Radio and Television. | 6,486 |
| International/Globalization Studies. | 6,447 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. | 4,139 |
| Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing. | 2,863 |
| Communication and Media Studies, Other. | 2,831 |
| Organizational Communication, General. | 1,835 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other. | 1,470 |
| Journalism, Other. | 1,186 |
| Sports Communication. | 1,161 |
| Broadcast Journalism. | 848 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication, Other. | 816 |
| Agricultural Communication/Journalism. | 445 |
| Meteorology. | 268 |
| International and Intercultural Communication. | 245 |
| Political Communication. | 221 |
| Photojournalism. | 144 |
| Science/Health/Environmental Journalism. | 7 |
| Business and Economic Journalism. | 0 |
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What Skills Do News Directors Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by news directors to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for news directors, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's News Directors
Based on 13,905 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for News Directors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Journalism | 7,860 | 57% |
| Social Media | 3,018 | 22% |
| News Stories | 2,848 | 20% |
| Storytelling | 1,985 | 14% |
| AP Stylebook | 1,501 | 11% |
Top 5 Common Skills for News Directors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Writing | 6,462 | 46% |
| Communication | 5,985 | 43% |
| Editing | 3,939 | 28% |
| Research | 3,535 | 25% |
| Self-Motivation | 2,579 | 19% |
Based on 13,905 job postings related to news directors, journalism was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 57% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for social media, news stories, storytelling, ap stylebook and content creation were also highly sought.
As for common skills, writing was the most desired skill found in job postings for news directors, followed by communication, editing, research, self-motivation and ability to meet deadlines.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Journalism | 7,860 | 57% |
| Social Media | 3,018 | 22% |
| News Stories | 2,848 | 20% |
| Storytelling | 1,985 | 14% |
| AP Stylebook | 1,501 | 11% |
| Content Creation | 1,426 | 10% |
| News Reporting | 1,408 | 10% |
| News Anchoring | 1,271 | 9% |
| Videography | 1,175 | 8% |
| Live Reporting | 1,072 | 8% |
| News Editing | 988 | 7% |
| News Coverage | 924 | 7% |
| Photography | 920 | 7% |
| Search Engine Optimization | 920 | 7% |
| Marketing | 696 | 5% |
| Broadcasting | 650 | 5% |
| Breaking News Coverage | 648 | 5% |
| Multimedia | 627 | 5% |
| Sports Journalism | 593 | 4% |
| Linear Video Editing | 584 | 4% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Writing | 6,462 | 46% |
| Communication | 5,985 | 43% |
| Editing | 3,939 | 28% |
| Research | 3,535 | 25% |
| Self-Motivation | 2,579 | 19% |
| Ability To Meet Deadlines | 2,559 | 18% |
| Ethical Standards And Conduct | 2,222 | 16% |
| Good Driving Record | 1,948 | 14% |
| English Language | 1,821 | 13% |
| Detail Oriented | 1,531 | 11% |
| Grammar | 1,478 | 11% |
| Multitasking | 1,366 | 10% |
| Management | 1,136 | 8% |
| Time Management | 993 | 7% |
| Information Gathering | 978 | 7% |
| Problem Solving | 972 | 7% |
| Organizational Skills | 933 | 7% |
| Leadership | 929 | 7% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 921 | 7% |
| Curiosity | 911 | 7% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about news directors? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for news directors.
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