Durham Accountability Reporter
The (Raleigh) News & Observer and The (Durham) Herald-Sun in North Carolina are looking for an always-curious, energetic reporter who is interested in local government and politics, and wants to learn more.
The Civic Accountability reporter will research and write daily stories along with breaking news and deeper projects that examine the City of Durham, Durham County and Durham Public Schools issues, disputes and politics. The reporter’s work will hold elected leaders and public employees accountable, focusing on government policies and actions that impact residents and quality of life in Durham. Those topics include public safety, growth, and development, changing demographics, affordable housing, public transportation, education and the relationship between government and prominent local employers, including Duke University and its hospital system. This reporter will examine those policies through the lens of the people affected by them, including traditionally under covered communities, and pursue story ideas that can resonate with readers across the Triangle and NC.
This is a great opportunity for a newer reporter but is not an entry-level position. Candidates must have past experience covering municipal government issues. Spanish language skills are a plus.
The ideal candidate’s key attributes include:
- Strict ethics and dedication to high-quality journalism
- Ability to organize and prioritize work
- Fast, but accurate
- Excellent self-editing skills
- Keen instincts in pursuing stories that will resonate with readers
- An understanding of audience engagement, metrics, and SEO
- Experience using social media both as a reporting and an engagement tool
- A collaborative personality and a track record of working well with editors as well as working independently
- Genuine curiosity about the topics covered in this position
- Experience building sources
- An aptitude for learning technical skills inside the newsroom such as content management systems and other tools
Key duties include:
- Finding, prioritizing, and writing the most significant and the most interesting local government and other news stories of the day
- Obtaining public records and, when needed, filing public records requests expertly and efficiently
- Shooting photos and videos when needed
- Distributing work through social media platforms
- Supplying SEO keywords, headlines, and other strategies to boost distribution of each story
- Meeting audience and reporting goals.