journalist

journalist — noun

1. someone who finds out about recent events and writes or talks about them in news

1.nounB1
Definition

someone who finds out about recent events and writes or talks about them in newspapers, on television, or on news websites

Example

Devika worked as a journalist for a local newspaper in Mumbai for ten years.

collocation: work as a journalist + place/time context

The journalist asked the mayor several difficult questions about the new school plan.

typical action: journalist asks questions

Common collocations
  • investigative journalist
  • freelance journalist
  • local journalist
  • sports journalist
  • foreign journalist
  • a journalist reports on
  • a journalist covers
Synonyms
  • reporter

    focuses on gathering and presenting factual news, often working outside the office

  • correspondent

    usually covers a specific topic or region, such as a foreign correspondent

  • columnist

    writes regular personal opinions or commentary, not primarily hard news

Grammar Patterns

journalist + for/at [publication]

journalist + verb (reports, covers, interviews)

Usage Note

Broader than 'reporter' — a journalist can also write opinion pieces, edit stories, or present news on television, not only gather facts in the field.

Common Mistakes

I read the journalist in the newspaper this morning.
I read the journalist's article in the newspaper this morning.
You read their work, not the person.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe people who work in news media, but their roles differ. A journalist is the broadest term — it covers anyone who gathers, writes, edits, or presents news. A reporter usually goes to the scene of an event to collect facts and interview people, then writes a factual news story. A correspondent is a reporter who covers one specific area full-time, such as a war correspondent or a sports correspondent. A columnist writes regular articles expressing personal opinions, often in a newspaper or on a website. For example, a journalist might edit a story from their desk, a reporter might stand outside a courthouse, a correspondent might file a report from another country, and a columnist might share their weekly views on politics.

journalist ↗reporter ↗correspondent ↗columnist ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • work as a journalist
  • train as a journalist
  • a team of journalists

Prepositions

  • journalist for [publication]
  • journalist at [publication]
  • journalist with [organisation]

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'journalist' entered English in the late 1600s from French 'journaliste', which came from 'journal' (a daily newspaper or diary). The French word itself traces back to Latin 'diurnalis', meaning 'daily' — from 'dies' (day). So a journalist is originally someone who writes for a daily publication.