The Chattanooga Times Free Press, an award-winning, family-owned newspaper in a city that keeps getting named a top place to live, is seeking a resourceful and curious reporter to capture a very newsy business scene.
This journalist will find revelatory, audience-focused stories that help readers navigate the many businesses whose products and services affect them every day. This reporter will chronicle how the business world is changing and provide practical insights into real estate, the economy and the labor market.
Chattanooga sits at the crossroads of a number of news-making industries. It’s a freight hub, a gig internet pioneer, a tourism draw and a quantum computing trailblazer. The power operations of the largest utility in the U.S. are housed here. So are the makers of MoonPies and Little Debbie snack cakes, along with the first Coca-Cola bottlers in the U.S. Our modest, easily navigated airport just added nonstop service to Las Vegas. And our Volkswagen plant just held a historic vote to join the United Auto Workers. We have a Trader Joe’s and plenty of Sonics. All we lack is an Ikea and an In-N-Out.
As one of two business reporters, you will be a major player in our daily coverage online and in print, on A1 and in our daily Business section. You’ll also be given time and resources to gather enterprise packages with impact on the community we serve. You’ll have an opportunity to collaborate with reporters who cover sports, growth, education, religion, city hall, the statehouse and the many counties that make up our tri-state region.
The job requires a strong work ethic, a team mindset and lots of creativity. You should be able to work collaboratively across beats and disciplines. You must be able to handle data, spot trends, stay on top of daily news and hold the powerful to account with investigative coverage. You must be driven to tell stories in new ways across many platforms. At least three years of experience at a daily or community news outlet is preferred.
The Times Free Press is part of a financially solid, privately owned media company with a newsroom that values mission-driven journalism and community service. The newspaper has been named the best in the state by the Tennessee Press Association for seven of the past nine years and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize four times since 2013.
They’re not wrong when they say Chattanooga is a phenomenal place to live. It is one of the top outdoor destinations in the country and has become a magnet for major industries over the past decade. There is a thriving downtown along the Tennessee River, and the city is within a two-hour drive of Atlanta and Nashville.
Are you in? Send an email outlining how you would approach the job to ryoung@timesfreepress.com. Include work samples, and attach a resume including references. Please include “business reporter” in the email subject line to make sure your application is routed properly.
