You’re passionate about stories and providing accurate reports on the latest news. Publications will highly benefit from your research-driven and engaging writing style that brings articles and scripts to life.
Are your cover letter and complementary journalist resume ready to show why your writing skills are best for each publication’s needs?
You have the writing chops to create engaging content, so you probably just need a few pointers and guidelines to choose the right tone and skills as you create your cover letter. We’ll help you out with our journalism cover letter examples and cover letter generator that are consistently landing jobs at top media outlets.
Why this cover letter works
- A punchy journalism cover letter for a social media manager role could be all about exhibiting cutting-edge technical skills.
- Taking Mateo’s lead, show that Hootsuite, Google Analytics, Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Campaign Managers aren’t just software names for you. Describe how these tools were instrumental in your previous roles, whether they refined data analysis or performance optimization or aided visual content creation and ad management.
Level up your
cover letter game
Relax! We’ll do the heavy lifiting to write your cover letter in seconds.
Why this cover letter works
- How about illuminating your admiration for the hiring company right at the outset of your journalist cover letter? This not only upscales your enthusiasm but also shows up as your ongoing interest in their work.
- For example, If the hiring company’s news coverage has left an impact on you, do share that you’re looking forward to contributing to their commendable work quality.
Why this cover letter works
- Mentioning a positive encounter with the hiring company in your reporter cover letter can be the unstated connection that propels your candidacy forward.
- In this case, Emilia recounts a field trip to the San Francisco Examiner that exposed her to the mesmerizing world of real-time journalism. Alternatively, talk about an enthralling experience with the company’s software or equipment.
Related cover letter examples
How to Format a Journalism Cover Letter
Writing your cover letter is like adding the right details to a news story to grab a target audience’s attention.
In this case, it involves reviewing the job description to get an idea of each company’s needs so you can include the right skills and connections to their mission. For example, you could write about how you’ll use your interviewing skills to gather industry-leading details for a cutting-edge news outlet.
Journalism cover letter introduction
In journalism, the introduction is crucial to grab a reader’s attention. It works the same way in a cover letter. Ideally, you want to tailor it to the hiring manager by using your research skills to find the name of a contact person in the job description or on the company’s website to provide a personalized touch.
Then, optimize your opening paragraph by connecting the top skills needed by each publication and how you’ll help achieve their mission. For example, you could include how you’ll use your data analysis skills to help a publication uphold its accuracy and integrity in the reporting space.
The opener below gets off to a decent start. However, it could use extra details about the applicant’s specific journalism skills and how they connect with the company they’re applying to.
Not quite enough detail here!
Hello,
Upon coming across your publication’s journalism job opening, I was immediately eager to apply since this looks like a great company to work for. With tons of writing experience, I believe my skills will be an asset to your team.
Instead, aim for an opener like the one below that shows the applicant’s passion for the impact WIXT Channel 4’s reporting makes and how their research and multimedia abilities fit in.
A top-notch opener with relevant journalism skills!
Dear Mr. Thomas,
Having seen the impact WIXT Channel 4’s reporting makes in Jacksonville, I felt instantly drawn to your open journalist position. Your news coverage doesn’t just inform; it tells stories that resonate with a diverse audience. As your journalist, I aim to bring engaging stories from our communities, accentuated by meticulous research and vivid multimedia support.
Journalism cover letter body
The body of your journalism cover letter is similar to the one in an article. You need facts and figures to back up your claims. In this case, it’s metrics and examples based on previous journalistic achievements.
For example, you could write about how you optimized introductions to boost reader retention rates or applied a new data review model to boost reporting accuracy.
If you don’t have much work experience, you can also add achievements from obtaining a journalism degree or transferable experiences like working on a school newspaper.
A great body paragraph with journalistic achievements!
At SWAYE, I harnessed the power of mobile journalism to bring news to audiences in real-time. There, I produced more than nine live streams weekly, which improved the reach of news articles by 33%. Additionally, my expertise in live reporting and streaming saw me delivering breaking news with superior efficiency, surging our viewership by 28%.
Journalism cover letter closing
Just as every article should have a conclusion that wraps up your key points, so should your journalism cover letter. This involves rephrasing your top skills and connection to the publication’s mission. For example, you could write about how you’re eager to use your social media skills to present up-to-date news to a broader audience.
Then, wrap things up by saying thank you and using a call to action, such as “I’m excited to discuss this journalism role with you further.” It’s similar to ending a thought leadership piece where you want the reader to take a specific action.
The closer below could use some work since it’s missing a call to action or any connection to the news outlet’s mission or the journalism skills they’re seeking.
Add more detail than this!
I believe my skills will be a great fit for your news outlet’s needs. Thank you for considering me for the journalism role.
Sincerely,
Donna Mason
Instead, aim for a closer like the one below that showcases a great overview of the skills in content creation, performance metrics, and paid promotions that Dell Technology is seeking.
A high-performing closer based on company needs!
I’m confident that my deftness in understanding audience behavior, creating engaging content, analyzing performance metrics, and strategizing paid promotions will harmonize with Dell Technology’s social media strategy. Thank you for considering me.
Sincerely,
Mateo Rodriguez
The best way to optimize your tone will be to match the one used in the job description. It’ll help showcase how your writing style aligns with each publication’s culture and audience.
One page will work best for your journalism cover letter. It’s similar to news stories where you want to include relevant information but keep it concise with the most essential details. In this case, it would be the skills needed for each role, such as editorial research or storytelling.
Sometimes, media outlets and publications won’t have a hiring manager listed anywhere. So, simply using “Dear [name of company] hiring team” will still work well. Then, make the rest of your cover letter highly specific to the broadcasting and reporting skills they’re seeking.
