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Bureau Chief

Creative

You run a newsroom bureau — managing reporters, assigning stories, and making the daily editorial calls about what gets covered and what doesn't. You still write occasionally, but mostly you're the one deciding who writes what and where the resources go.

Salary Range

Low

$65k

Median

$85k

High

$115k

10-Year Growth

-3%

US Workers

45K

Education

Bachelor's in Journalism + 7–15 yrs experience

Environment

indoor

Tools & Technical Skills

  • Editorial management & story assignment
  • Budget management for newsrooms
  • Copy editing & fact-checking oversight
  • Crisis coverage planning
  • Freelancer & stringer management
  • CMS & publishing workflow management

People & Mindset Skills

  • Leadership
  • Editorial judgment
  • Team management
  • Communication under pressure
  • Strategic planning
  • Conflict resolution
  • Public representation

Learn the skills

Courses and certifications to get you job-ready

What you'll actually do

  • 01Assign stories and manage a team of reporters and editors
  • 02Set editorial priorities and coverage strategy for your bureau
  • 03Edit and approve stories before publication
  • 04Manage bureau budgets, freelancers, and stringers
  • 05Represent the bureau in editorial meetings and public events
  • 06Handle the angry calls when someone doesn't like your coverage
  • 07Balance breaking news chaos with long-term investigative planning

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