Technically Media, a digital media company best known for its local tech economy news site Technical.ly, is hiring a beat reporter for its Pittsburgh site in tandem with the Report for America program. We’re seeking someone who is eager to work a beat, file daily and build a network of sources in the region’s emerging business community. A primary tool for reader engagement and determining our effectiveness is the growth of our daily email newsletter product, a core component for the vibrancy of our community of professionals.
This person with exceptional news and relationship-building instincts will work with Technical.ly’s managing editor to effectively and comprehensively report on the Pittsburgh tech and innovation economy, which includes the companies, workforce and support system that underpins it. You might in one day cover the news of a promising agtech startup’s Series A alongside a roundup of local coding bootcamps; the next, you might profile a technologist developing an app for a Silicon Valley-based FAANG company while working remotely from Pittsburgh, and attend a summit for responsible use of tech in the robotics field.
This reporter in Pittsburgh assesses the work of the entrepreneurs and economic developers in providing opportunity for residents — including those who have traditionally been underrepresented in the tech industry — as well as how it is changing the local economy. The journalist is Technical.ly’s lone full-time presence in this area, so the reporter is a self-starter who works well independently.
At Technical.ly, we believe that journalism is a necessary act for strengthening any community. Our mission is to use news coverage to grow an audience of technologists and entrepreneurs inspired by local impact, and to bring them to action. The Technical.ly Pittsburgh reporter will focus their reporting on the leaders of growing companies and the smartest technologists that support such companies. We fund our work by making connections in our community, through events, storytelling and services, particularly with talent acquisition strategies. Much of our most impactful work includes helping connect jobseekers and employers.
This reporter will be successful if they’re trusted by their beat and deliver a daily newsletter product with news, information and perspective that is worth signing up for.
The Pittsburgh reporter will report directly to the Technical.ly managing editor and work closely with our distributed newsroom. Though our editorial team is situated within the communities we report on, our newsroom is active daily via Slack, and we additionally find regular opportunities to work together in person across our markets. With the support of guest contributors and other content, we aim to publish at least three items per day on our Pittsburgh site, four days per week. This role will contribute about two locally focused stories per day, including a mix of reported articles and recurring features, plus short-form posts geared toward the daily newsletter. Our editors do solicit guest posts and freelance contributions. There will be regular collaboration and daily coordination with editors and fellow reporters.
Expected Responsibilities:
- File 2 daily reported features, in addition to a short-form post geared toward the daily newsletter. On average, this is a total of 3 daily bylines of varying length and time invested, most days per week.
- Work closely with Technical.ly editors to execute overall editorial strategy in the Pittsburgh region, primarily through its news product, directory, social media properties and the like.
- Contribute to the development and engagement with our Pittsburgh daily newsletter.
- Grow and support an audience of local technologists and entrepreneurs. You will develop deep insight into how the Pittsburgh tech economy works and grows.
- Contribute editorial products that support our editorial strategy of connecting growing companies and technical talent, including RealLISTs, the editorial calendar, Power Moves columns and other initiatives.
- File at least one monthly, larger enterprise report, including evergreen, trend or other deeply sourced pieces about the community.
- Contribute to our cross-departmental and cross-geographic collaborative team.
- Attend and speak at relevant events to raise awareness of our work across Technical.ly markets and to build your own stature as a well-sourced reporter.
- Contribute to social media engagement for our Technical.ly market, including limited live-tweeting, engagement and social sharing on places like the market Twitter handle, community Facebook groups, reddit and our public Slack group.
The ideal candidate will excel in cultivating source relationships to consistently deliver valuable local business news, quickly and accurately. You should have experience in and a willingness to experiment with new media and an interest in supporting and learning from an experienced journalistic enterprise. Plus, as a small, growing news media startup, we’re probably more fun than your traditional editorial role.
The person in this role is expected to spend roughly 90% of their time reporting in Pittsburgh, and 10% doing supplementary tasks like supporting strategy, social media engagement and administrative work.
Qualifications
The position is ideal for someone passionate about beat reporting and source development. Bonus points for being inspired by technology and our efforts to build a sustainable model for impactful local journalism. At its core, this is a reporting role. Because we consider ourselves a community company, you must have a drive to be the most connected person in your local tech and entrepreneurship community.
Candidates should likely possess the following qualifications:
- 1 to 3 years of reporting experience
- Exceptional collaboration and communication skills
- A hunger to be the best-sourced reporter on a beat
- Empathy to ask the “why” of our coverage, an instinct to know when publicly critical reporting provides the most value. Our mission is to make a community better, smarter and more engaged
- Interest in local and niche communities and serving them with journalism
- Interest in sustainable news by balancing journalism ethics and business model
- An understanding of online content management systems, comparable blog software and social media applications is required. Experience with WordPress or other open-source content management systems is desirable
- Knowledge of and interest in local and national tech, entrepreneurship and innovation communities
Other information
- Position includes base salary
- Position includes health insurance, including primary care, vision and dental.
- Position includes a 401k plan, including a company match of 4% of salary
- Regular directional feedback from our Editors and collaborative newsroom.
- Our company hosts an annual Team Retreat every June and a vision-building annual All-Team Day every December.
- Position includes Bring-Your-Own-Device reimbursement.
- Position is remote/work from home, with the option of a coworking space.
Interested individuals should contact Technical.ly Managing Editor Julie Zeglen at julie@technical.ly. Please submit a resume, short letter in the body of an email explaining your interest in the role (with 2–3 references) and examples of your work.
