A clear beat specialism, a portfolio link or selected clips, employment history at named publications with specific editorial contributions rather than generic responsibilities, skills in relevant tools (CMS, data journalism, SEO), and any awards or recognition. If you have measurable audience impact (a piece with 500,000 views, a newsletter with 20,000 subscribers), include those numbers explicitly. Journalism hiring decisions are almost always made by working journalists who know how to read between the lines of a media CV, so specificity, honesty, and the quality of your clips matter far more than visual design.
Essential. Most journalism hiring processes start with a clips review before the CV is read in detail. A journalism CV without accessible clips is effectively incomplete. Create a simple portfolio page (Muck Rack, Contently, or a personal site) with your 10 to 15 best pieces. Include a link prominently in your CV header. In the clips section of the CV itself, list 3 to 5 selected pieces that are specifically relevant to the role you are applying for, with a brief note on reach or impact where you have it.
Yes, if your social presence is professionally active and relevant to your beat. A reporter with 40,000 engaged followers covering the same beat as the role they are applying for is demonstrating audience development capability, source access, and editorial thought leadership simultaneously. Include the platform and follower count if it is relevant and significant. If your social presence is primarily personal or not professionally maintained, leave it out of the CV rather than list an inactive account.
One to two pages. A journalist with fewer than 5 years of experience should be able to fit a strong CV onto one page. A senior editor or correspondent with 15 or more years across multiple outlets and sections may justify two pages, particularly if they have relevant awards, books, or academic credentials to list. The selected clips section should be brief in the CV itself (3 to 6 entries) and link out to a full portfolio. Do not reproduce long lists of bylines inside the CV document.
A beat is your specialist area of coverage: technology, health, climate, politics, business, crime, and so on. You should list your primary beat prominently, ideally in your title line and your profile. Editors hiring for a specific beat want to see immediately whether your expertise matches. A reporter who has covered fintech for 4 years applying to a fintech editor role should make that specialism impossible to miss. If you cover multiple beats, list the 1 or 2 most relevant to the role you are applying to rather than trying to claim expertise across 6 different areas.