Meaning & use
reporter
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A person whose job is to gather facts and present news for newspapers, television, radio, or online media.
Grammar: Countable: a reporter, two reporters. Often used with 'for' to name the organization.
Patterns
- a reporter for something
- a reporter with something
- work as a reporter
The reporter interviewed several witnesses at the scene.
She works as a reporter for a local newspaper.
A foreign reporter asked the president a difficult question.
nouncountableformal
Someone who tells others about something that has happened, especially in an official or formal setting.
Grammar: Used in phrases like 'reporter of' to mean a person who gives an account.
Patterns
- reporter of something
He was the sole reporter of the incident to the authorities.
As the reporter of the committee's findings, she answered all questions.
Word forms
| plural | reporters |
|---|
Common combinations
- news reporter
- The news reporter delivered the story live from the scene.
- investigative reporter
- An investigative reporter spent months uncovering the scandal.
- sports reporter
- The sports reporter covered the championship final.
- court reporter
- A court reporter records every word spoken during the trial.
- reporter for a newspaper
- He started as a reporter for a small-town newspaper.
Synonyms and how they differ
- journalist
- A broader term for anyone who writes or edits news; a reporter specifically goes out to gather and present the news.
- correspondent
- A correspondent usually reports from a distant place or on a specialized subject, while a reporter may work locally.
- anchor
- An anchor presents the news in a studio, whereas a reporter often works in the field.
Word family
- report verb
- To give an account of events.
- reporting noun
- The activity or job of gathering and presenting news.
- reportorial adjective
- Relating to reporters or their work.
Commonly confused: reporter or columnist?
reporter vs columnist
A columnist writes regular opinion pieces, while a reporter focuses on gathering and presenting factual news.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'reporter' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The standard preposition is 'for' when naming the organization a reporter works for. 'Of' suggests she owns it, and 'on' or 'at' are less natural for employment.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reporter”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.