The German word for reporter is der Reporter.
It’s used for a male or general journalist who reports news, stories, or events. The female form is die Reporterin.

It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German—you can grab the full list in a free illustrated PDF—and you’ll hear it in news broadcasts, articles, interviews, and public debates.

Gender and Pronunciation

It’s a masculine noun: der Reporter (female: die Reporterin)
Want to master German noun genders faster? Our video lesson gives you a smart system that sticks.

Pronunciation:
Reporter is pronounced [reh-POHR-ter]

• “reh” like red without the “d”

• “POHR” like pour

• “ter” like in butter
  Three syllables: reh-POHR-ter

Example sentences

Der Reporter stellte gute Fragen.
The reporter asked good questions.

Die Reporterin ist live vor Ort.
The reporter is live on the scene.

Ein Reporter hat den Skandal aufgedeckt.
A reporter uncovered the scandal.

Nuance and usage tips

📰 Reporter is used for journalists who actively gather and present information, especially on location or in investigative contexts. It emphasizes the role of reporting rather than editorial work.

📺 You’ll hear it in media-specific phrases like Sportreporter (sports reporter), Kriegsreporter (war correspondent), or Fernsehreporter (TV reporter).

🎤 Unlike Journalist, which can imply broader media work (including writing and editing), Reporter focuses more on the active reporting side—interviewing, questioning, researching.

How does this word come up in real conversations?

"Der Reporter war direkt im Krisengebiet."
The reporter was right in the crisis area.

"Ich möchte später als Reporterin arbeiten."
I want to work as a reporter someday.

"Der Reporter hat sehr kritisch nachgefragt."
The reporter asked very tough questions.

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Tim: Hast du den Bericht im Fernsehen gesehen?
Lena: Ja, der Reporter war echt mutig.
Tim: Das war live aus dem Katastrophengebiet, oder?
Lena: Genau – richtig beeindruckend.

Translation:
Tim: Did you see the report on TV?
Lena: Yeah, the reporter was really brave.
Tim: That was live from the disaster zone, right?
Lena: Exactly—really impressive.

Grammatical case examples

Nominative:
Der Reporter ist bekannt für seine Interviews.
The reporter is known for his interviews.

Accusative:
Ich habe den Reporter im Radio gehört.
I heard the reporter on the radio.

Dative:
Mit dem Reporter haben sie lange gesprochen.
They spoke with the reporter for a long time.

Genitive:
Die Fragen des Reporters waren sehr direkt.
The reporter’s questions were very direct.

Other ways to say reporter in German

The more general term Journalist (or Journalistin) refers to anyone working in media, including writers, editors, and broadcasters. Berichterstatter is a more formal word often used in political or legal contexts, such as a parliamentary correspondent. For TV, Moderator (host) might be used if they also present or mediate.

Still, Reporter is your go-to word when someone is gathering news and delivering it to the public.

Word variations and tidbits

You’ll see Reporter in combinations like Fernsehreporter (TV reporter), Radioreporter, Sportreporter, and Kriegsreporter. There’s also Live-Reporter, Reportage (feature report), and the verb berichten (to report).

🧠 Fun fact: Like many media-related words, Reporter comes straight from Latin and French roots—reportare (“to carry back”). It was adopted into German with the rise of modern journalism.

📘 Duden entry for Reporter:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Reporter
🎥 Want to stay on top of the news and your vocab? Our video course teaches this word and 999 others—complete with visuals, grammar help, and real-world dialogues.

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