Fort Worth daily seeks business of sports reporter

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is seeking a sports business reporter.

This reporter will move away from conventional reporting and writing methods, fully embracing a digital- and social-first mindset. The area of focus will be reporting on the business of sports.

Sports is big money in North Texas. From the economic impact of major builds – from the $1 billion-plus Jerry’s World to the latest high school craze (indoor practice facilities) – we’re spending significant sums of money on building places to play and then on tickets, parking and concessions in those buildings. And much of it is being funded by us, the collective taxpayer.

At the college level Power 5 schools coming up with creative ways to spend their deep budgets and yet almost every other college is losing millions trying to keep up. All the while rising college costs are burying some students in a lifetime of debt. And, of course, there are the multi-million high school stadiums in Texas.

There is a significant accountability element that comes with this beat. We’ll use public records requests, data analysis (searchable databases) and in-depth reporting to help our audience make sense of our passion for play. The successful candidate will operate with an insatiable curiosity, will write with authority and will successfully share his or her work (stories, databases, interactives, etc) across multiple platforms and outlets.

Stories will include a mix of dailies, explanatory and trend stories. Methods of delivery will include video, FacebookLive, Twitter, newsletters and more as we look to grow audience for this beat.

QUALIFICATIONS:

•        The ability to write quickly, accurately and well;
•        Solid news judgment and excellent journalism ethics;
•        An intuitive sense of what’s important and interesting;
•        A deep understanding of what drives interest on Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms; an understanding of metrics/analytics programs including Chartbeat, Crowdtangle and Omniture and development of story ideas derived from data;
•        Ability to engage with readers and develop sources on social media platforms including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter;
•        Ability to correctly identify audiences for selected stories.
•        A strong entrepreneurial spirit, deep curiosity and high energy;
•        A collaborative style that works comfortably across teams spread throughout the office and company. We will work comfortably in a job that will be fast-paced, data-driven, shaped constantly by feedback and experimentation and always evolving;
•        Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism.

To apply, go here.