General Assignment Reporter
The Abilene Reporter-News/reporternews.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is seeking a general news reporter with experience across the board in newsroom assignments to cover West Texas.
Experienced, versatile reporter sought, with knowledge of local government, public safety coverage and Excel a plus. Beat includes breaking news, features, hard news and more in-depth projects.
A primary focus is business, especially restaurant news and tech. The job will require making contacts in the business community to facilitate breaking stories for new restaurants and other businesses. Abilene is a growing community whose members are keen to learn more about the local food scene.
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Also, Abilene is the site of the Stargate Project, a huge AI data center campus under the auspices of Open AI, Oracle and SoftBank. Stargate is on the Lancium campus, a sprawling site dedicated to attracting data centers and other tech-centric occupants.
Education is another primary focus. Abilene has two local public-school districts, plus three private universities including a Division I campus, a community college, a trades college and a Texas Tech satellite campus focusing on healthcare studies.
This job requires getting out in the community to build a source network and conduct interviews, working with administrators and others in education, offering news stories, features and more in-depth coverage of education and business issues, especially tech-related topics. It requires working with state officials and video, photography and social media skills to enhance coverage.
Knowledge of Excel to mine data will be a big advantage for any applicant.
Like other reporter jobs, this includes whatever else develops locally with other Gannett journalists. A teamwork philosophy is key, and we are at times called upon to assist in some fashion with projects all the way up to the level of USA Today.
A reporter who can go beyond meetings to inform the public is sought, as well as a journalist who also sees the people side of the news and knows how to bring that to facts and figures.
Flexibility is also important in the fast moving world of digital news as we seek to adapt quickly to engage our audience.
Responsibilities:
- Create content (articles, videos, photos and social media posts) about local news that accurately informs, entertains and engages key audiences and platforms.
- Provide in-person coverage of events and meetings, as well as conduct in-person interviews.
- Provide thoughtful in-depth coverage of complex issues.
- Work toward becoming the community's leading voice for news and issues in Abilene.
- Plan and execute engagement opportunities to reach audiences through content, community events and social media.
- Work with the editor to evaluate what's working and what's not and develop ongoing plans to better satisfy audience needs.
- Collaborate with the content team to provide all appropriate elements for stories (i.e., photos, videos, and graphics).
- Promote personal brand, the brands of colleagues and the institutional brand.
- Provide great customer service, helping readers find answers and solutions.
- Perform other duties as necessary.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, marketing or related field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 1-2 years' reporting experience, which could include freelancing, internships and college publication work.
- Adept at taking photos and video and ability to file quickly across platforms: mobile, desktop and social media.
- Strong command of grammar.
- Strong copy-editing skills and the ability to produce content that is clean, accurate and publication ready.
- Is passionate and enthusiastic about news and content that will work well with audiences on social platforms.
- Comfortable in fluid, fast-breaking, stressful situations.
- A desire to grow and develop key beats in our newsroom.
- Is comfortable using social media such as Twitter, Facebook,Instagram and Reddit to enhance reporting and promote stories.
- Understands reporting ethics and sourcing.
- Excels in a fast-paced news environment and understands the digital first mission.
- Collaborates well with others and can work with a team on the biggest stories.
- News often requires employees to work extended hours, evenings, weekends and holidays, sometimes unexpectedly.
- 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:
- Your resume - one to two pages.
- A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
- Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you've produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.
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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