Kentucky Connect Trending Reporter

The Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, is looking for a Kentucky Connect Trending Reporter to join our service journalism and trending team. This reporter will provide timely and audience-focused coverage in metro Louisville and Kentucky, including its many neighborhoods and surrounding counties.

We are looking for a reporter who is quick and flexible - full of topic-focused story ideas, who can urgently pursue them and write them at volume in varied formats. This reporter should be deeply curious, highly competitive, and possess a desire to inform digital audiences. The reporter should be comfortable working with local and national editors and reporters across the USA TODAY Network,and be able to seamlessly move between topics important to the city and state.

We start with the headline, so great digital headline-writing skills are a must.

The reporter will work alongside our Courier Journal reporters, editors and content strategists to cover high-interest stories, help swarm breaking news and plan for major events.

This reporter should be comfortable interacting with and listening to social media and other digital communities, and being comfortable on camera is a must. They will use data and analytics, Google Trends and other SEO tools to inform their story choices and presentation on and off our platforms. This reporter must love telling stories quickly when needed, in-depth when called for, and always with accuracy. Living in metro Louisville or the area and having great familiarity with the city, Kentucky as a whole, its culture, major events and top interests, are required.

The typical shift will start early, but business needs, meaning nights and/or weekends, may also be required.

The Courier Journal is one of the largest newsrooms in the USA TODAY Network and is an 11-time Pulitzer Prize-winning news organization in a metro area known for its nationally recognized chefs and restaurants; vibrant music scene, including the Forecastle music festival; world-class bourbon distilleries; and Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. The quality of life is sky-high and the cost of living is impressively low.

Responsibilities:

• Monitor emails, social media, community groups, and other sources to find stories.
• Monitor developing stories across news, social and other media platforms for key topics important to Kentucky residents and people who work there.
• Efficiently and accurately write stories, several per day.
• Find, pitch and swiftly produce stories on topics of emerging interest, with a focus on what readers want and need to know.
• Ensure content is properly optimized for competitive search ranking and best practices for user experience.
• Create video using an array of tools to deliver trending and breaking news across platforms in real time.

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, communication or equivalent work experience and education.
• Able to work some evenings, weekends and holidays, as needed.
• Expert at using social media platforms, including but not limited to Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, Reddit and Bluesky.
• Command of concise writing, spelling, grammar and AP style.
• Good fact-checking and reporting skills.
• Well-organized, detail-oriented and flexible.
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment.