The Commercial Appeal/commercialappeal.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is looking for a reporter to cover Memphis and Shelby County government and politics.
This reporter will explore all areas of city and county government, including the Memphis mayor, Shelby County mayor, the Shelby County Commission and Memphis City Council. The beat includes the county health department and other functions of government for the city and Shelby County, which has 1.1 million residents. You will produce a mix of daily, enterprise and project work, with an emphasis on enterprise stories that can drive digital subscriptions.
Memphis is a city of 630,000 people on the Mississippi River in southwest Tennessee, famous for the influential strains of blues, soul and rock 'n' roll that originated here. Elvis Presley, B.B. King and Johnny Cash recorded albums at the legendary Sun Studio, and Presley's Graceland mansion is a popular attraction. Memphis today is a key hip-hop market, having spawned such stars as Moneybagg Yo, Yo Gotti and GloRilla. Beale Street is an iconic attraction.
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Responsibilities:
- Creates storytelling that accurately informs, entertains and engages specific audiences and platforms through the use of metrics.
- Works toward becoming the community's leading voice in area of expertise.
- Promotes personal brand, the brands of colleagues and the institutional brand.
- Report quickly, clearly and accurately and deliver news, via stories, video, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other methods available to reach our audience.
- Use metrics to inform story choices and shape beat strategies.
- Cultivates a beat, knowing the ins/outs of the city/county government/politics beat and its key players. Has a genuine interest in people and ability to build trust.
- Writes and/or produces multimedia content that appeals to key audience targets and maximizes user experience on digital and social platforms to reach readers where they spend their time and attention.
- Experiment with new ways of informing and engaging audiences on social platforms and be proficient in using alternate story forms.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's or master's in agriculture, communications, journalism or related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 3+years of writing/journalism/newsroom experience.
- Strong command of grammar and style.
- 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 a key beat in our newsrooms.
- Is comfortable using social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat 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.
- This role requires a valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.
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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