Charlotte Observer seeks a business reporter

Charlotte’s a business-savvy town, and The Charlotte Observer is looking for a business-savvy General Assignment reporter ready to jump into the middle of all that action. You’ll be diving into the story of the moment, looking for trends, breaking the news and checking out everything from industry reports to social media to move the conversation forward. Between being one of the country’s major finance sectors, having one of the world’s busiest airports and seeing two major hospital systems compete for patients on a regular basis, the business scene is never quiet here. We want someone who can help readers understand how complex issues impact them, uses a variety of ways to tell stories and collaborates with colleagues across the newsroom to deliver new and unexpected stories for readers.

About The Charlotte Observer 

Join the newsroom that won 34 awards from the North Carolina Press Association and was crowned first place for General Excellence the past two years. At The Charlotte Observer, we put a premium on breaking stories first as well as investing in hard-nosed, accountability journalism that our audience can’t get anywhere else.

Our journalism focuses on our local communities, and in that role we have the ability to spotlight problems, highlight solutions and truly make a difference — all the reasons you got into journalism. And we are part of McClatchy, a digitally driven company focused on innovation, with newsrooms in 30 communities in the United States,

In the last three years, our team has exposed the proliferation of corporate landlords overwhelming the real estate market and pushing away potential first-time home buyers; uncovered a dangerous lack of sufficient oversight and staffing in nursing homes throughout the state; and revealed the environmental and health impacts of an unregulated poultry industry that is the largest agricultural business in the state. That work has resulted in numerous local, state and national awards.

We are located in Charlotte, North Carolina, not only a lively region for news but an interesting place to live/ with an excellent quality of life. Our community is one of the fastest-growing in the nation, is rich in its diversity and is the largest city in the state.

In our Business General Assignment reporter, we’re seeking a versatile and resourceful journalist who is as skilled in public records as she/he/they are in knocking on doors to track down sources. You’ll need a passion for accountability journalism and the drive to sift through data, dig through documents and cultivate sources.

In this role, you will need to:

• Focus on stories that build readership
• Think about audience first and always, with a commitment to tactics that grow readership.
• Master engaging multimedia storytelling
• Demonstrate speed, competitiveness and SEO savvy through aggregating and storytelling tools
• Work well in a team environment.

Requirements: The successful candidate should meet many, though not necessarily all, of the following requirements:

• College degree or equivalent work experience
• 3-4 years of reporting experience. (Minimum years of experience)
• Must have reliable transportation. Must have valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance required (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works).

• Strong writing skills, excellent news judgment and a demonstrated ability to “see the story” that is going to matter to readers.
• Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism.
• Ability to build source networks and bring a constant flow of story ideas.
• Ability to work collaboratively to aggressively tackle stories.
• Comfort with a job that will be demanding, fast-paced and constantly evolving.
• Facility with data, public records and business reports.

To apply, go here.