Chicago Council on Global Affairs seeks a reporter

The Chicago Council on Global Affairs is seeking a reporter to provide real-time news, explanatory pieces, and insightful analysis for the next generation of changemakers, across a range of topics.

The ideal candidate will be an insatiable news consumer who instinctively knows the topics and takes that people want to read. You will anticipate questions about global affairs and identify distinctive entry points that will engage globally curious readers and give them a first, fresh angle that they want to drop into the group chat. You can capture and keep attention, select and synthesize in a short format, and provide context with clarity. You have a conversational voice that makes people want to sit next to you and hear your running commentary.

You will be attuned to the most pressing global concerns, particularly related to climate, and are able to scour sources – and talk to interesting people – to deliver stories that surprise and delight on a daily basis.

The work will involve reporting and writing for newsletters, a new website, and other platforms, while using best practices to optimize for reach.

This is a collaborative, hands-on team looking for a writer who is relentlessly interested in the world and understands how to engage people in the important global events of the day.

The position is a hybrid role and requires occasional in-person attendance at our Downtown Chicago location based on work activities and peak seasons. The position reports to the Executive Editor.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Sourcing, curating, and aggregating interesting, important information for a daily newsletter.
• Writing quickly, accurately, and well, with a consistent eye to audience needs, grammar, style, and accessibility.
• Crafting compelling, conversational headlines, optimized to amplify our content’s reach across platforms.
• Relying on news judgment and excellent journalism ethics to surface story ideas, brainstorm angles, and match content to story form.
• Verifying the authenticity of information, sources, photos and video found through social media.
• Collaborating on photos, videos, social media, graphics.
• Using data and analytics to help guide editorial and audience development.
• Taking a forward-looking, lab-like approach to testing new content and engagement ideas intended to build a diverse audience.
• Participating in the team’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies.
• Fostering cross-team collaborations in support of the Council’s digital transformation objectives and goals.
• Provide support for Council events (virtual, hybrid, or in-person), sometimes requiring early morning or evening hours. Examples may be registrations, ushering, greeting, monitoring social media channels, etc.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher, is preferred
• 2-5 years’ experience in a newsroom or journalistic environment preferred
• Sharp editorial instincts and skills, with a track record in attracting audience
• Comfortable in the principles and practices of digital publishing
• Familiar with interpreting web analytics and newsletter analytics to adapt and improve audience engagement
• Collaborative, with proactive and inclusive interpersonal and communication skills

For more details click here.