Columbus Business First seeks real estate reporter

Columbus Business First is adding a second commercial real estate reporter to cover the expansive and dynamic region outside the city, including the fast-growing suburbs and surrounding counties, and the area’s booming industrial market.

The commercial real estate beat is the essence of top-level reporting. It requires building — and working — strong source networks, to uncover deals before anyone else and report both the dollar value and the broad impact of new projects, new employers and new players.

We need someone who is driven to do the hard work of digging up scoops, and is intrigued by the challenge of putting together the pieces of news to present a larger picture of the forces shaping our community. From expansions, relocations and other deals, to coverage of important real estate events, trends and executives, a good Business First reporter is editor of his or her own beat coverage, and is easily able to assess what merits a story, an in-depth investigation or just a brief.

Candidates must be able to blend traditional journalism skills — source building, sharp news judgment, interviewing prowess and scoops-driven reporting – with digital and social media know-how. Reporters don’t just turn in copy; they must think more broadly about multimedia options, such as videos and slideshows.

Business First reporters are expected to provide forward-looking business intelligence to savvy readers not just to inform them, but connect them with decision-makers and educate them on the strategies that work — or don’t. A focus on the people behind the deals is essential.

Skills

• Proven excellence in reporting and writing

• Desire and ability to break news and to identify newsworthy events and sources

• Strong analytical and investigative-interviewing skills

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively

• Ability to relate comfortably to a wide range of people, in person, on the phone and virtually

• A clear drive to develop sources and build audience

• Solid understanding of news writing, journalistic ethics and story structure

• Ability to leverage relationships with sources to deliver content that differentiates the organization from competitors

• Multimedia skills, including video, photos, broadcast, on-camera, helpful

Duties

Business First reporters are expected to contribute short-form and long-form stories for the website and weekly paper. Here, reporters must own their beat and dictate day-to-day coverage. To bring in source-driven scoops, reporters are expected to be vigilant networkers and relationship managers. Our best stories come from people, not press releases. Scoops matter — a lot — and on top of that, readers demand to not only know what is happening, but why and how. You break hard news that sometimes sources don’t want brought to light, but you never burn bridges.

Experience

• 2-3 years of journalism experience

• Track record of building, maintaining and engaging a high-level audience in person, in print and online

• Social media mavens held in high regard

• A knowledge of the real estate sector is a plus

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience

To apply, email a resume, cover letter and links to clips that best show enterprise and scoops reporting to Beth Hunt, director of editorial recruiting and development, American City Business Journals, bzhunt@bizjournals.com