Insisted reporters join journalist (7)
I believe the answer is:
pressed
'insisted' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both to do with communicating as well as being past participle verbs.
Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?
'reporters join journalist' is the wordplay.
'reporters' becomes 'press' (journalists, members of the press).
'join' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'journalist' becomes 'ed' (short for editor).
'press'+'ed'='PRESSED'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for pressed that I've seen before include "Argued strongly and exerted force" , "under some strain" , "Squeezed hard" , "crushed juice" , "Urged U crushed" .)