The Austin American-Statesman is seeking an experienced business reporter to cover Elon Musk and his companies, their broad impacts in Texas and beyond, and Musk’s activities in Austin and the region.
What will you do?
This reporter will be responsible for reporting newsworthy statements from Musk and his companies and other breaking news about Musk-led companies based or operating in Central Texas (Tesla Inc., Starlink, The Boring Co., Neuralink and X). They will also be responsible for producing insightful enterprise and analysis about Musk, his businesses and their broader impacts on business, government, individuals and the environment.
What will it take to be successful?
- Developing a network of sources with knowledge of Musk’s companies including current or former employees, Wall Street analysts, watchdog and environmental groups, government officials, residents and others.
- In collaboration with a staff reporter responsible for broad coverage of the Austin tech sector and another who covers Musk’s Starbase-based SpaceX and related topics, taking a leading role in producing a regular Musk-focused newsletter.
- A sub-beat covering economic development in Austin, Travis County and Texas.
Other requirements:
- A digital-first focus and relentless drive to be first to market with newsworthy developments regarding Musk, his companies and their impacts.
- A track record of source development in publicly traded, closely held and private companies.
- Experience covering earnings reports and other SEC filings.
- Experience securing other types of public records and a record of building coverage on such documents.
- Experience using social media to track the comments of newsmakers and companies.
- Experience covering governments and public agencies, their budgets and other activities.
- Embrace of a fast-paced, collaborative environment and ability to work well with colleagues across Hearst Texas newsrooms.
- At least 5 years of experience in daily journalism and at least 3 years in business journalism.
This position reports to the Regional Business Editor as part of a Hearst Texas Business news staff in Austin and San Antonio.
The department also covers energy, utilities, auto manufacturing, labor, trade, aerospace, cybersecurity, real estate, insurance, retail, tourism, economic development and the region’s major companies and industries. Companies of focus include Tesla, Dell, Cisco, Oracle, Valero, USAA, SpaceX, Boeing, Samsung, H-E-B and Whataburger.
To apply, go here.
