Breaking News Reporter
The Argus Leader, argusleader.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is seeking a digital-first breaking news reporter to be part of our rapid response team, finding and reporting on the top news of the day, everything from viral trends and weather to (and with a specific emphasis on) public safety issues and trends in the state's largest city.
The public safety and breaking news reporter will seek out stories of interest to our audiences using the latest metrics and social tools to find stories that will resonate, focusing on the most talked about issues - or those most deserving attention -within the justice system.
This person should be creative, write in a conversational style and deliver sharp headlines. A great public safety and breaking news reporter is interested in not only covering immediate, urgent news, but also contextualizing incidents by putting them into perspective for the larger community. Ideal candidates will be open to reporting on a variety of topics and have an insatiable curiosity about how the criminal justice system works from the moment someone is arrested to the moment of conviction or acquittal.
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We want someone who can work calmly under tight deadlines, deliver scoops, write quickly, make a lot of phone calls, knock on doors, be creative, think about storytelling on different platforms, deliver sharp headlines and willingly embrace learning new skills.
The position demands initiative, accuracy, urgency and insight. It also demands strong news judgment and the ability to find stories and trends that are immediate, important and influential. This reporter also will dig into public records to provide relevant, enterprising follow-ups to breaking news.
This reporter must be able to juggle a high volume of stories daily, all the while staying focused on the digital details of story production: headlines, SEO, multimedia assets and other points of optimization, and will be comfortable producing live blogs, listicles and quick enterprise stories.
Additionally, this person needs to feel comfortable with being edited by peers - and to contribute in a peer-editing process.
Responsibilities:
- Report quickly, clearly and accurately and deliver news via stories, video, newsletters, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other methods available to reach our audience.
- Use metrics to inform story choices and shape beat strategies. This includes being adept at SEO.
- Identify top trending stories of the day, based on analytics and audience potential, specific to attracting search and social audiences.
- Be aware of Gannett properties and liaison with them on a regular basis. Edit local news stories to be consumed by a national audience. Focus on story production details.
- Work with editors to experiment with new ways of informing and engaging audiences on social platforms and alternative story forms. This includes experimenting with long-tail (evergreen) content.
- Monitor real-time news and sniff out the most important and fascinating stories important to our audiences.
- Demonstrate fast news judgment on an ongoing basis.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's or master's in communications, journalism or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience using social media accounts to identify stories is a plus.
- Experience creating visual news graphics optimized for social is a plus.
- This role requires a valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.
Application Instructions
We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don't limit your upload to a resume; show us what you've done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:
1. Your resume - one to two pages.
2. A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
3. Links to no more than three published stories, writing samples and/or audio samples.
It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.
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