Dallas Morning News seeks an aviation reporter

The Dallas Morning News is on the hunt for a reporter who embraces a high-effort, high-opportunity challenge of covering one of Dallas-Fort Worth’s most significant beats — aviation.

DFW’s economic vibrancy is largely tied to the success of its airlines and airports. The region is home to two of the country’s biggest airlines (American Airlines and Southwest Airlines), the fourth busiest airport (DFW International), a highly popular secondary airport (Love Field) and a massive air cargo hub (AllianceTexas).

Our coverage not only reflects the importance of this industry to our fast-growing metropolitan area and state, but also captures how air travel intersects with many of the key societal issues of the day — from racial profiling and sexual assaults to immigration, safety and the influence of social media users on how the public perceives what happens aboard planes.

Additionally, DFW is home to a powerhouse aerospace industry. Lockheed Martin assembles F-35 fighter jets in a gigantic plant in Fort Worth and calls the shots for its missiles and fire control division in another North Texas community. Raytheon’s space and airborne systems unit also works on secretive defense projects in another community in our metro area. And the state’s private space industry is quickly growing, with billionaires Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk using Texas as a literal launching pad for their SpaceX and Blue Origin side projects.

This highly competitive beat requires a reporter with a fast-paced metabolism and an ability to balance breaking stories with compelling enterprise work on multiple platforms. Our stories draw a national audience that looks to us to report news first but with the context that connects the dots.

Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree or greater in journalism or a related communications field, 3-5 years of reporting experience, a proven aptitude with digital platforms and social media, and a willingness or eagerness to appear on TV to discuss your stories.

Please submit a resume, cover letter describing how you’d nurture and grow this beat and three (3) examples of your best work to Business Editor Paul O’Donnell (podonnell@dallasnews.com).