A journalist cover letter is a concise, information-packed document written to highlight your qualifications and motivation when applying for a job. It should outline your key skills, like communication, writing, and investigative reporting, along with your most notable work-related achievements to impress recruiters and land you an interview.
In this article, we’ll give you a step-by-step guide on how to write an exceptional journalist cover letter. Moreover, we’ll provide real-life examples to show you what the letter should look like and then top it all off with expert tips to get you ahead of the competition. Let’s dive in!
Key Takeaways
Business letter format is the best one to use for a journalist's cover letter.
A clean one-page layout with a professional font enhances the legibility and impact of your cover letter.
You should always try to find the recipient's name and address them personally to build rapport from the start.
Mention a key skill or achievement in the first paragraph to immediately show potential and grab the reader’s attention.
Include a call to action toward the end to maximize your chances of getting invited for an interview.
The Perfect Format to Use for a Journalist Cover Letter
The perfect format to use for a journalist's cover letter is the business letter format. It offers an established structure typical for professional correspondence, ensuring that you optimally convey relevant information to recruiters and hiring managers.
Here’s the order in which you should arrange the sections of your cover letter when you follow this format:
Cover Letter Format
Contact information and date
Salutation
Introduction
Main body with qualifications
Call to action
Conclusion and sign-off
On top of a professional format, you should also have an appealing cover letter layout. That way, you’re ensuring the visual fidelity of your document, enhancing its legibility, and maximizing the impact your writing has on the reader.
Here are some tips to help you achieve a clean and effective layout:
Cover Letter Layout
Your cover letter should be one page long.
The writing should be 250–400 words and 3–5 paragraphs.
The font for your cover letter should be professional, like Times New Roman or Calibri.
Font size should be 10–12 pt.
Margins should be uniform and at least 1 inch.
Line spacing should be 1.0 or 1.15, with an additional line between paragraphs.
While familiarizing yourself with these rules can help you craft an outstanding document, you can focus on writing your cover letter and let our cover letter builder do the heavy lifting regarding format and layout.
Our specialized software solution was built from the ground up to facilitate cover letter writing. When using it, you’ll find many professional, ready-made templates you can customize or use as-is before inserting your information and downloading a finished document. You can have an expertly designed journalist cover letter ready in minutes!
Journalist Cover Letter Outline
Let’s dive into the specifics and see how you should write each section of your journalist cover letter. To assist you along the way, we prepared a concise visual overview of what a cover letter should be like:
#1. Contact Information and Date
Contact information and date go in the header of your cover letter.
You should start with your details and simply list the following:
Contact Information Mandatory Details
Full name
Job title
Phone number
Email address
Additional information to consider highlighting includes your mailing address, LinkedIn profile, relevant social media, personal website, and portfolio. After that, you want to date the letter and include the location of writing before listing the recipient’s contact information.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Contact Information Example
Talia Wals Journalist 2204 Garnet Ave San Diego, CA 92109 858-222-7547 taliawalsh@example.com
San Diego, 10/07/2024
Deanna Hahnz Hiring Manager The California Weekly 8252 Clairemont Mesa Blvd San Diego, CA 92111
#2. Salutation
The salutation should be short and courteous to open your journalist cover letter politely. A simple “Dear” followed by the recipient’s name is enough. Mentioning their name is imperative, as it personalizes your cover letter and helps you build rapport with the reader from the get-go.
Here’s an example:
Salutation Example
Dear Ms. Hahn,
If you research the company and can’t find the name of the recruiter or hiring manager, you can always address your cover letter by using their professional title. Alternatively, you can address it to a specific team or department.
The only thing to avoid is a generic salutation, like “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam.”
#3. Introduction
The introduction should be your elevator pitch, specifying the position you’re after and highlighting your greatest strengths. The goal is to impress the reader right from the start.
That’s why you should mention one or two of your most impressive work-related accomplishments, along with how many years of experience you have. If you’re writing a journalist cover letter with no experience, you can mention your most prominent skills and your highest degree.
Let’s see what that looks like in an example:
Introduction Example
I am excited to apply for the open Journalist position at The California Weekly as advertised on your website. With more than seven years of experience in investigative journalism and multimedia content creation, I am confident I can contribute to your organization. Notably, I wrote a series of investigative articles that garnered more than 750,000 page views.
#4. Skills, Qualifications, & Experiences
Your journalism skills, qualifications, and experiences relevant to the role you’re applying for should be the central part of your journalism cover letter. This section should be between one and three paragraphs, and it should demonstrate why you’re the best person for the job by showcasing your past efforts and accomplishments.
If you’re writing a journalist cover letter for an entry-level position, you can still make this section pop by leveraging analogous experiences. This includes freelance work, college projects, internships, and even similar jobs you might’ve had in the past, like writing or content creation.
Let’s see that in a solid example:
Skills, Qualifications, & Experiences Example
While working at San Diego Daily, I conducted an in-depth, data-driven investigation into government spending that resulted in more than 300,000 unique views and relevant policy changes. Furthermore, I mentored three junior journalists in writing and content production, increasing the overall output by 23% within three months without compromising quality.
#5. Motivation for Applying
Showcasing genuine motivation for applying for a particular job demonstrates drive and passion, which can help set you apart from the competition. Recruiters and hiring managers always look for highly motivated employees, as they are more productive and engaged in their work.
One effective way to adequately demonstrate your motivation is to mention something specific about the organization. You can highlight some of their projects that impressed you or talk about their goals and values, explaining how they align with yours. This can further help you show how you’d be a good cultural fit for the company.
Here’s an example:
Motivation for Applying Example
I am particularly drawn to The California Weekly due to your efforts to combine traditional journalism with contemporary digital strategies. Your dedication to writing nuanced stories and ensuring they reach and resonate with both traditional audiences and readers on social media platforms aligns with my passion for human-centered storytelling.
#6. Call to Action
A call to action helps elicit a response from the recruiter or hiring manager. You can use it to suggest they invite you for an interview, examine your resume, look at your portfolio, etc.
For an even greater impact, you can include a notable result from one of your previous jobs that is highly relevant to the one you’re after.
Let’s see that in an example:
Call to Action Example
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to discussing over an interview how I helped my previous employer boost the number of online subscribers by 17% last year by writing high-impact articles. I believe I can replicate these results in your organization.
#7. Conclusion & Sign-Off
Conclusion and sign-off—like salutation—should be brief and cordial. You can use any of the established courteous and professional letter closings followed by your name. If you’re submitting a hard copy of your cover letter for a journalist, you should also include your signature.
Here’s an example:
Conclusion Example
Sincerely, Talia Walsh
Let’s put everything we’ve learned into practice and examine a complete journalist cover letter example:
4 Must-Know Tips for Drafting a Journalist Cover Letter
Finally, here are a couple of expert tips that will help you draft an impeccable journalist cover letter better than the majority of the competition:
Tips for Drafting a Journalist Cover Letter
Incorporate numbers and statistics to quantify your achievements. This adds measurable value to your work and abilities, making your qualifications more concrete in the eyes of the reader.
Meticulously proofread your cover letter before submitting it. Even a single typo can draw the wrong kind of attention, especially in a writing-oriented profession. A spotless letter demonstrates precision and attention to detail, which are valuable traits employers look for in candidates.
Make sure your cover letter matches your journalist resume. The two documents should complement one another in content instead of simply repeating the same information. Moreover, you should use the corresponding format and layout to create a visually cohesive application package.
Emphasize role-specific skills and experiences. Journalism is a vast field where different positions have specific requirements. For instance, an editor cover letter might emphasize attention to detail and collaboration abilities, while a sports journalist cover letter can focus more on research and interviewing skills.
Final Thoughts
The number of openings for journalists is on a decline, with a -3% job outlook. Still, that leaves around 4,500 projected new openings each year until 2033. One of the best ways to get ahead of the competition and secure the job is with a well-written journalist cover letter.
Keep in mind that a cover letter is not just a simple record of your qualifications. It’s a direct testament to your writing prowess and communication abilities. When you’re crafting a journalist cover letter for an agency, you should treat it as a part of your portfolio and make sure that your writing is persuasive and impactful.
