Palm Beach Post seeks consumer issues/business reporter

The Palm Beach Post is looking for a consumer issues/business reporter who will identify trends and hot topics and consistently produce content that resonates with our current readers and helps us grow our audience and reach our goals.

Much of your responsibility will be to reach into consumer issues that affect the lives of Floridians. The state is reeling from an insurance crisis that shows no signs of going away, energy costs that will continue to rise, and inflation that is squeezing everyone’s budget. Your focus can start in Palm Beach County but the stories you write about often resonate throughout the state, so you’ll need to be the statewide expert on insurance and Florida Power & Light, the state’s biggest energy producer. You’ll also occasionally write about health care/insurance for consumers, an issue that affects everyone from the elderly to young workers.

Job Responsibilities

FP&L: You will report on Florida Power & Light’s short- and long-term pricing changes; you’ll follow their solar power and electric vehicle charging strategies; you’ll track their use of natural gas production and how that fits into their current and future energy plans.

Insurance: You’ll report on why the insurance market is pricing residents out of living in Florida, through a combination of reporting of the state Legislature, energy groups and talking to everyday people.

Consumer: You’ll understand the economic situation of a diverse group of people in Palm Beach County and Florida and tell their stories of struggle and survival.

Jobs and the economy: You’ll be aware of the job situation in Palm Beach County; is unemployment in line with the national average? We will also ask you to dig deeper into employment, such as the shortage of workers and to probe whether national and state immigration policies are aggravating the shortage. You’ll talk to local businesses and employees for their perspective on employment challenges but also to illustrate how national economic trends and issues are affecting them personally.

Mix Of Reporting

Some of your reporting will dig deep into these subjects, but you’ll also be asked to regularly provide shorter, easy-to-understand pieces on important issues. You’ll also come up with utility stories to help people save money and live their best lives financially, such as tips for saving money on your power bill, or whether you should buy or lease a car?

Statewide reach

Much of your work will serve our entire Florida network of 19 newspapers and some will be picked up by USA Today and other of Gannett’s national publications.

To apply, go here.