Local Government Reporter (Linn County, Iowa)
The Gazette
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
See other jobs from this companyDate Posted | August 21, 2024 |
---|---|
Industry | Newspapers |
Specialty | Local News |
Required Education | Bachelor's Degree |
Job Status | Full-time |
Description:
The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is seeking reporter to lead
local government coverage of communities in Linn County, the state’s second
most-populated county. This position blends a mix of city and county government
reporting. Our ideal candidate is someone who is enterprise-reporting focused,
but able to juggle daily reporting on a regular basis. Our future reporter will
be good at taking policy discussions and meetings and shaping stories through
the eyes of residents and those impacted by the decisions.
This beat centers on coverage of Cedar Rapids – a city of
about 140,000 residents – which is home to a variety of major industries,
regional cultural attractions and major economic development projects. You’ll
also cover Marion – an adjacent family-focused city of 42,000 residents -- seeing
significant growth and demand for services. You’ll also cover Linn County
government and the three-member Board of Supervisors and several elected
offices.
Our ideal reporter has demonstrated experience with public
records requests and data-driven reporting and is passionate about sorting
through an array of ideas to find the stories that must be told. You’re
interested in economic development and growth and want to build nuanced
understanding of how cities work. You’ll be covering communities who have
reimagined themselves following multiple climate disasters. You’ll need to be
an expert at scanning agendas, budgets and finding the not-so-obvious
storylines and prioritizing your time. You’ll be able to put ongoing local
complex topics into context, focus on the why it happens and what's important
about it. You’ll regularly find ways to explain the impacts of decisions
through the eyes of those impacted rather than simply reporting the actions of
elected officials.
The ideal candidate will have a digital mindset and will
use analytics to help find ways to extend the reach of their work. You’ll be
passionate about “explainer” style reporting and alternative story forms.
You’ll be comfortable working in a competitive news environment.
The ideal candidate will have familiarity with audio and
video, the utilization of social media in reporting and should have basic self-editing
abilities. You should also be able to utilize data, embrace interactive
visualizations and be comfortable with curating content. You’ll also be willing
to help host panel conversations as in-person or virtual events, too.
This candidate should have previous reporting experience
and be comfortable in an environment where you can grow, but you’ll be expected
to collaborate and help others grow, too.
Our organization:
Our news operation is converged and is a quality-driven
newsroom that combines digital and print for The Gazette, TheGazette.com as
well as several niche sites. Our company has a strong tradition of being
independent and is employee owned. The majority of our news team is focused on
enterprise reporting, and we have a strong spirit of collaboration with other
news agencies. While we’re focused in Cedar Rapids -- Iowa’s second-largest
city – we have reporters in Des Moines and Iowa City, home to the University of
Iowa. The region is rich with things to do outside of work hours.
Qualifications & requirements:
Ideal candidate will be a flexible, self-motivated,
inquisitive, creative go-getter and problem-solver who works well on a team and
has excellent communication and team-building skills. Candidate must be highly
organized, a confident decision-maker and committed to ongoing improvement and
coaching. Juggling multiple deadlines simultaneously should be expected, and
you should be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment. An undergraduate
degree in journalism, communications, English or a related course of study is
required. Candidate must have strong ability to write and report well and
distill subjects into understandable and accessible items. Ideal candidate will
possess basic video and photography skills and always has a desire to learn new
things. Approximately 2 to 5 years of experience in a multimedia newsroom is
required.
EOE. Pre-Employment drug screen, motor vehicle and
background checks required.
Apply
https://www.corridorcareers.com/jobs/marketing-media/98472-local-government-reporter