Sports Business Journal is a globally recognized brand that is the go-to news and network source for thousands of sports business professionals. Producing breaking news every day, hosting over 20 events a year, and offering excellent content to thousands of subscribers, the task of amplifying the brand socially is a large and important one.
Role & Responsibilities:
The Staff Reporter will own the professional basketball beat by diligently working with existing sources and developing new ones to find the type of information that has long made Sports Business Journal one of the most respected publications in the industry. They will then be able to present that information in various formats — print, digital, video, social — in a compelling and creative fashion that will help SBJ and the reporter stand apart in a crowded media space.
Strong, traditional journalistic skills — including source-building, interviewing, information-gathering, writing and analysis — are essential. So, too, is the ability to identify emerging trends and to have an understanding and awareness of where the industry is headed at all times and who the people and companies are that are fueling those changes.
Reporters will contribute breaking news to our daily digital products, and to our weekly magazine. For the latter, news and analysis will be critical in providing one or more pieces in each issue to our news section, as well as features, investigative stories and profiles to the rest of the book.
The reporters will work closely with their assigned editor on a day-to-day basis, as well as with other editors as various projects arise. Strong collaboration and communication skills are vital and required to shape both the short- and long-term coverage plans around their beat(s). Reporters may be asked to participate in podcasts, videos, SBJ conferences or other events as needed.
Required Education, Experience and Skills:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
- Minimum of 3-5 years of professional journalism experience with a proven ability in reporting and writing
- Familiarity and comfort with AP Style
- Creative planning skills
- Strong news judgment
- Ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously
- Ability to hit deadlines consistently
- Excellent source-building and information-gathering
- Attention to and stickler for detail
- Strong organizational and communication skills
- Works well under deadline pressure
- Strong understanding of news writing, journalistic ethics and story structure
- Ability to break news and to identify newsworthy events and sources
- Strong writing, analytical and investigative interviewing skills
- Knowledge of sports business, and/or sports business community, a plus
- Proven experience building, maintaining and engaging an active audience
- Experience with using social media to source and promote content a plus
- Understanding imperatives of multiple platforms – print, web, social, etc.
- Proven ability to utilize a broad set of tools to tell stories and engage the audience
- Ability to leverage relationships with sources to deliver content that differentiates the organization from competitors
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Duties and Responsibilities, work schedules and/or location may change based on evolving business needs
- Regularly break news and identify newsworthy events and sources
- Work on breaking news, trends, analysis and longform pieces for SBJ
- Continually grow network of sources
- Work closely with Managing Editor and conference group on the planning and strategy around SBJ events
- Work closely with Managing Editor and conference group on conference ideas, sessions and panelists
- Reporters will be expected to facilitate/moderate at SBJ events and must be comfortable in taking a leading role in the community
- Work collaboratively with editors, photographers, social media, video team and others to maximize the impact and accessibility of stories
- Contribute content from your beat each day for SBJ digital products and newsletters
- Contribute at least one news story per week for the print edition of SBJ, and often more than one
- Be able to write compelling and informative feature stories multiple times per year and to contribute to multi-writer packages that arise as needed
- Meet or exceed goals relating to audience-engagement such as page views, unique users, repeat visits, etc.
- Take on any other assignment made by manager(s).
- Work cooperatively and collaboratively with all colleagues and professionally with sources.
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:
Extensive computer use required. Some travel required, including to company headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. and to various company events across the United States. An ability to work flexible work schedules, including nights, weekends and holidays as needed, is required.
To apply, email a resume, cover letter and links to clips that best show news and enterprise reporting to David Albright, Managing Editor, Sports Business Journal: dalbright@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
