News moves fast. Stories break, trends shift, and attention spans are short. For public relations professionals, getting coverage isn’t just about having a good story—it’s about making sure the right people tell it. The most effective way to do that is by connecting with journalists who have influence, credibility, and reach.
Building relationships with top news reporters can make all the difference in amplifying a message. If you want your story to be heard, you need to know who’s reporting it. The journalists below are among the most influential voices in the industry, shaping public conversations and setting the news agenda.
Here are some of the most prominent reporters today:
- Lester Holt, NBC News
- Anderson Cooper, CNN
- David Muir, ABC
- Shereen Bhan, CNBC-TV18
- Robin Roberts, ABC
- Christiane Amanpour, CNN
Each of these reporters has built a reputation for delivering news with accuracy and depth. Understanding their coverage areas and reporting styles can help you craft the right approach when reaching out."
Let's start from the basics, though:
What is a news journalist?
Before looking at the best news reporters in the industry, it is important to understand exactly what they do.
These journalists are effectively the gateway to keeping the public informed on the latest events. They will gather information and news from multiple sources, including PRs, news briefings, and wire services, as well as undertaking research themselves.
With this information, the reporter will then assemble it all together into a digestible newspaper article, television report, or radio briefing. Certain news journalists will only cover specific topics, so when approaching them, it is essential that you are reaching out with relevant information that they would be interested in.
The best news reporters
Lester Holt, NBC News
When it comes to the best news journalists, Lester Holt continues to be one of the most recognized names in the industry. Having been the permanent news anchor on NBC Nightly News since 2015, he regularly covers some of the most hard-hitting stories in the world.
With an illustrious career spanning several decades, he has covered some of the most iconic moments in global history.
Anderson Cooper, CNN
New York Times bestselling author and current anchor of CNN, Anderson Cooper, is one of the most recognizable news reporters in America. Graduating from Yale University in 1989, Anderson began his journalism career covering war-torn regions for Channel One News.
From there, he steadily progressed through the ranks before joining CNN in 2001. Nowadays, he is the lead anchor on the Anderson Cooper 360° show on CNN while also being a feature correspondent on 60 minutes.
David Muir, ABC
Based in New York, David is a popular news journalist and current anchor on ABC World News Tonight. Thanks to the huge popularity of the show, he has become a household name in America and is recognized across the globe.
Covering a wide range of major news stories, he has won multiple Emmy awards as well as several Edward R. Murrow awards for his international reporting. His career began back in 1994, when he was an anchor and reporter for WTVH-TV, but fast-forward to 2021, and he has just taken over as the lead anchor for breaking news and special events.
Shereen Bhan, CNBC-TV18
Shereen is one of the most recognized news reporters in India, currently acting as the Series Editor for one of the longest-running shows in the country, Young Turks. Prior to this, she was a reporter and news anchor for many of India’s flagship shows, including India Business Hour and The Nation’s Business.
She is famed for her friendly approach while on camera, and she has won multiple awards throughout her career. In 2005, she was also named the FICCI Woman of the Year, while 2009 saw her named as one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders.
Robin Roberts, ABC
As the face of one of the most popular morning shows in the world, Good Morning America on ABS, Robin Roberts is one of the most trusted reporters in the industry. Starter her career as a local sports anchor for local radio and TV shows in Mississippi, she moved on to ESPN, where she worked throughout the 1990s.
Joining ABC in 2005, she has covered a wide range of news stories and has also published several books that cover self-help topics and inspiring stories.
Christiane Amanpour, CNN
As the Chief International Anchor for CNN, alongside being the anchor for the media outlets international news program, Amanpour, Christiane is one of the most recognizable faces in the industry.
The British-Iranian journalist’s career spans three decades, and she has won multiple awards for her ground-breaking reporting, including nine Emmys.
Find the best news reporters with Prowly
While these six reporters might be some of the most influential in the industry, there and thousands of incredible journalists out there that you might want to pitch to.
Tools like Prowly can easily help you find relevant news journalists to cover your story. With a Media Database packed with over one million journalists from across the globe, this gets easier than ever.
Cover photo by Sam McGhee
