Media & Communications
Journalism & News Reporting skills assessment
Journalists find, verify and tell the stories that matter. This scorecard covers news judgement, interviewing, writing, verification, legal awareness and deadlines so newsrooms can develop reporters with consistent standards.
- 12 skills to score
- 1–10 scale on every skill
- 6 starting levels
The 12 Journalism & News Reporting skills you can score
These are the default Journalism & News Reporting skills in SkillScorer. Each one is scored from 1 to 10 for every team member, and you can edit, remove or add skills at any time.
News Judgement
Recognises what is newsworthy and prioritises stories that matter most to the audience.
Interviewing Technique
Prepares thoroughly, asks clear and probing questions and listens for the story behind the answer.
News Writing and Style
Writes accurate, concise and engaging copy in the house style, structured for the reader.
Fact-Checking and Verification
Verifies claims, sources and images carefully before publication and corrects errors promptly.
Source Development
Builds trusted contacts and protects confidential sources appropriately.
Defamation and Court Reporting Law
Understands defamation, contempt and suppression rules and reports within them.
Deadline and Breaking News Response
Files accurate copy quickly under pressure without sacrificing quality.
Multiplatform Storytelling
Adapts stories for print, online, social, audio and video formats.
Ethics and Impartiality
Applies codes of ethics, avoids conflicts of interest and reports fairly.
Research and Data Skills
Uses records, data and documents to build and support stories.
Editing and Self-Review
Reviews and improves own copy before it reaches the editor.
Working with Editors and Colleagues
Takes feedback well and collaborates across the newsroom.
Levels included with Journalism & News Reporting
Journalism & News Reporting starts with 6 levels, which SkillScorer calls “Seniority Level” for media & communications, so team members can be grouped and compared fairly. Rename, reorder or replace them at any time.
- Cadet
- Journalist
- Senior Journalist
- Editor
- Senior Editor
- Head of Content
How Journalism & News Reporting works in SkillScorer
Score
Each team member in a newsroom is scored on the Journalism & News Reporting skills in the Skills Matrix: tap a cell, type a score, and it saves itself.
Compare
Rank team members, compare two side by side, or compare your newsrooms against each other to see exactly where the strengths and gaps are.
Track
Scores are kept year after year, so you can see who is improving and which Journalism & News Reporting skills need attention. Reports also follow each senior editor's newsroom.
Journalism & News Reporting scorecard: common questions
What skills does the Journalism & News Reporting scorecard include?
SkillScorer's Journalism & News Reporting scorecard covers 12 skills: News Judgement, Interviewing Technique, News Writing and Style, Fact-Checking and Verification, Source Development, Defamation and Court Reporting Law, Deadline and Breaking News Response, Multiplatform Storytelling, Ethics and Impartiality, Research and Data Skills, Editing and Self-Review and Working with Editors and Colleagues. Each one comes with a written description of what it measures, and you can edit, rename, remove or add skills to suit your organisation.
How are team members scored in Journalism & News Reporting?
Every team member is scored from 1 to 10 on each skill (1 = Poor, 5 = Average, 10 = Elite), one newsroom and year at a time. Scores autosave in the Skills Matrix, and the 18 built-in reports turn them into rankings, radar charts, skill gaps and year-on-year trends.
Which levels come with Journalism & News Reporting?
Journalism & News Reporting starts with these levels (called “Seniority Level” in the app): Cadet, Journalist, Senior Journalist, Editor, Senior Editor and Head of Content. They are just a starting point, so you can rename, reorder or replace them.
Can I change the Journalism & News Reporting skills and wording?
Yes. The skills, levels and labels are all editable per organisation. In media & communications the app talks about team members, newsrooms and senior editors, and you can change any of those words too.
Score Journalism & News Reporting with SkillScorer
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