记者 (jì zhě) literally means 'one who records' — the character 记 (jì) means 'to record, to note down', and 者 (zhě) is a classical suffix meaning 'person who does something'. Together, they form a standard noun for a professional who gathers, writes, and reports news for newspapers, television, radio, or online media. Reporters conduct interviews, attend press conferences, verify facts, and write stories for public consumption.

This term is formal and neutral in register, used widely across mainland China, Taiwan, and other Mandarin-speaking regions. It applies to both general assignment reporters and specialized ones (e.g., political reporters, investigative journalists). While journalists may also be called 新闻工作者 (xīn wén gōng zuò zhě, 'news worker') or 记者 in compound terms like 战地记者 (zhàn dì jì zhě, 'war correspondent'), 记者 remains the most common, concise, and universally understood term for 'reporter' in everyday and professional contexts.