Florida Today seeks a business and development reporter

FLORIDA TODAY, part of Gannett, Inc. and the USA TODAY NETWORK, has an opening for a Business and Development Reporter.

At the height of the space race, Brevard County was built around one mission: sending man to the moon. Today, the economy has diversified and while one neighbor might be a rocket scientist, others work in the aviation sector, high-tech fields or health care. Kennedy Space Center is not the only economic driver; the county also boasts one of the most active ports in the world and a growing airport.

FLORIDA TODAY is hiring a reporter to focus on how these businesses intersect with life on the Space Coast. This new beat wants to look beyond job creation efforts and commercial growth to explain what it means to the community. In addition to looking at economic development and employment, you’ll be looking at financial inequalities and social disparities.

This reporter should be excited about telling stories along a wide spectrum: stories that break news and explanatory journalism that tells readers how something works or what it means; analysis that goes deeper into a current news event; alternative story forms that help readers understand an issue or event; narrative storytelling that’s compelling and engages readers more deeply with our journalism; and watchdog reporting that holds leaders, institutions or systems accountable.

The watchdog component involves using public records requests, data analysis, and strong sourcing. You might develop a story off changes at one of the county’s big players such as Harris Corp. (soon to be L3 Harris) or Northrop Grumman one day, track developments at one of the three major health companies the next or reveal what’s behind the latest commercial development.

These pieces need to go beyond press releases and meetings to get at what is driving decisions affecting the community. The job requires the ability to understand our audience and frame stories in a way that highlights what is most important to them. Expect to collaborate with our space team, county government reporter and environment reporter. Watchdog work essential part of the beat. Our aim: to show how business and economics impacts real people’s lives.

Application Instructions:

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes as much of the following as you can provide:

1. Your resume – condensed to a few pages.
2. A cover letter that describes what you would bring to the job.
3. Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you’ve produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do.

*It’s important that these items be assembled into a single document in PDF format. The application will only allow you to upload one document. Completing these steps will ensure that you receive the highest consideration.