The Fort Worth Report, a nonprofit and nonpartisan online news organization, has an opening for an ambitious and visionary business reporter. The position will help break news and set the tone for our coverage on stories about aerospace, the defense industry and a variety of other business coverage. In all of our reporting, we seek to amplify the voices of Fort Worth and Tarrant County residents.
This position reports to the managing editor and to our content editor in working to produce world-class journalism with the goal of expanding our relevance, impact and reach. Strong digital and social media skills, plus an old-fashioned nose for hard news, required.
This position will be responsible for coverage of regional economic trends, as well as major Tarrant County employers such as Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopter, the Naval Air Station, Alcon and many others in our boomtown. The successful candidate will know how to balance emerging news, issues and trend stories, deep-dive enterprise and watchdog stories, and will understand how to tailor high-concept and complex stories to
a general readership, showing why business news matters to everyone.
The business reporter is a problem-solver with the ability to work quickly and thoughtfully, adjusting based upon the needs of the story. The applicant is a problem-solver with excellent writing and editing skills and a nose for news and features and the ability to develop relevant contacts in the business world.
The person loves the mix of local reporting we do at the Fort Worth Report, where we live at the intersections of people and public policy. Our nonpartisan reporting centers on civic life, including government accountability, education, business, arts and culture,
the environment, health and religion.
This is a full-time position with benefits.
Responsibilities
● Produces daily news and longer-term business enterprise stories for multiple platforms, including the website, email newsletters and social media.
● Works across newsroom beats to help lead ambitious projects that cut broadly across disciplines and topical areas.
● Uses digital analytics to inform coverage that reaches audiences, wins subscribers and builds reader loyalty.
● Masters digital tools to reach users when and where they are.
● Adept at digital storytelling, using clear, concise writing that makes complicated issues accessible. Important skills include audio, photography, videography, data visualization and related tools. We focus on making our content shine online as we build a partnership with public broadcaster KERA.
● Shares responsibility for our business newsletter, The Biz Report, and contributes to our daily newsletter.
● Embraces diversity in the workplace and in our coverage, thinking inclusively about everything from story framing and sourcing to word choice and presentation.
● Contributes to a healthy, positive and welcoming workplace culture.
● Works occasional nights or weekends when news requires it.
● Actively uses social media and other tools to reach and engage readers.
● Represents the Fort Worth Report to the community and other groups as needed.
● Understands the importance of inclusive coverage, helping the team build trust among diverse communities in our region.
● Understands and upholds the standards, ethics and mission of journalism at the Fort Worth Report.
Qualifications
● A minimum of 2-4 years’ experience.
● Demonstrated record of successfully reporting business coverage, including complex enterprise story packages.
● Strong news judgment, with impeccable standards of accuracy, honesty and fairness, and knowledge of libel laws.
● Proven ability to write thoughtfully, accurately and quickly.
● Cultural competence and familiarity with inclusive journalism practices.
● Sophisticated communication skills; ability to negotiate, collaborate and engage in sometimes challenging conversations with staff, leadership and readers.
● Adaptability to new routines, policies and technology in an ever-changing work environment.
● Experience with WordPress and other online publishing systems and spreadsheet software such as Excel.
● Excellent grammar and language skills; reliable math skills.
● Reader engagement skills, including participation in chats, comments, social media, live events and producing newsletters.
● Must be willing to relocate to Fort Worth or Tarrant County in a reasonable time frame.
Along with ample opportunity for growth in the country’s 13th-largest city, we offer a competitive salary, plus health insurance (medical, dental, vision), generous holiday, sick and vacation leave, and flexible work hours.
There are great candidates who might not check all these boxes or who hold important skills we haven’t listed. Don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself. FWR is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to hiring employees from diverse backgrounds. People of color, women, LGBTQ+, and differently-abled people are strongly encouraged to apply.
As a start-up, we’re often called to wear many hats and jump in to help each other when the situation calls for it. We’re committed to maintaining a healthy work-life balance and providing a place for staff to feel supported in their professional growth and achieve ambitious goals.
Application details: All applications should include a cover letter, resume, references and work samples to hello@fortworthreport.org; please include “Business Reporter” in the email subject line. You also may upload your material to our jobs portal at FortWorthReport.org. Please send a resume, cover letter and work samples.
