The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is looking for an ambitious reporter to serve our readers with high-interest accountability journalism that aims to explain why things happen, what went wrong, who is responsible and what should be done about it.
At the highest level, the reporter will strive to reveal what others want to hide and to hold powerful people, agencies and businesses in account for what they do or, in some cases, don’t do, and fact-checking what they say.
This beat has no bounds. It is about questioning government decisions on spending public money, protecting public safety and improving the quality of life for all citizens equally. It is about the everyday problems that can easily rile up people in this fast-growing city, from code enforcement to commuter headaches to court cases.
We value strong enterprise journalism and expect that you do, too. But you should be just as eager to provide our readers with daily stories that answer their questions, data-driven explainers and quick-turn reporting that brings transparency or clarity to complex issues. The reporter must be nimble enough to dive in when we’re dealing with breaking news, scandals or other big stories of the day, but also have the curiosity and instinct to recognize when there’s a deeper story less conspicuous among the daily headlines.
This role involves competitive, real-time watchdog reporting to inform our audiences with valuable information they can’t get elsewhere. You should be passionate about being the journalist who asks the tough “why” questions on behalf of our readers, and provide the knowledge and insights to help them understand and react. You should be relentless in your pursuit of information, whether it’s by digging into a spreadsheet, seeking public documents or knocking on doors. You should be persistent with a sense of urgency.
In considering you for this position, we’ll look for a demonstrated commitment to fairness and accuracy, in fact and in tone, and a strong grounding in journalism ethics. And like all journalists at the Star-Telegram, the accountability reporter must have demonstrated the desire and skills to build audience loyalty, engagement and growth around compelling public service and accountability journalism.
For us, the reader comes first, last and always. Serving readers in a crowded media marketplace means becoming the best and most relevant source of journalism that matters to them — and ensuring that our work reaches them, wherever they are. This will require a keen understanding of what’s important to local readers, developed through reporting on and familiarity with the region; through the extensive use of reader analytics such as social media referrals and time spent on a story; through knowledge about how and what people search for online; through a constant awareness of what people are sharing and talking about on social media.
It will require not just the ability to build sources and ferret out facts, but also a talent for framing, writing, shooting, producing and promoting a story via search and social media to ensure that it reaches and resonates with our readers. It will require a demonstrated commitment to change — to constantly adapting to the ever-evolving ways in which readers seek out and interact with journalism. And it will require enthusiastic participation in ongoing conversations about what’s working and what’s not — and an equally enthusiastic commitment to adapting accordingly.
What you’ll bring:
To apply: Please submit a cover letter, resume and 6-8 examples of your work that show the breadth and depth of your reporting and writing skills.
For further details click here.
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