Lexington Herald-Leader seeks business/consumer reporter

The Herald-Leader is looking for a versatile, audience-focused reporter to cover business in the Bluegrass region of Central Kentucky, with an eye on consumer-focused and watchdog journalism. This journalist will focus on key issues that are shaping the business sectors in the counties around Lexington, with a particular focus on major employers like the automotive sector, growth and development and consumer watchdog stories.

This reporter will deliver breaking stories on business developments and major projects in the region as well as consumer-focused journalism that demonstrates how Central Kentucky residents interact with local businesses. We’re looking for a journalist who can break news but also develop enterprise stories about the changing landscape of business, especially as it intersects with other topics that are relevant to Lexington and Central Kentucky, including government, growth and development, quality of life and the environment.

This reporter will explain how business is changing in our region and how it directly affects consumers and those living in Central Kentucky. This beat entails exploring business trends in Central Kentucky that resonate with readers as well as spotting national trends that lend themselves to localizing. All components of the beat involve breaking news, building sources, poring through public databases, uncovering trends and talking to real people.

We’re seeking a journalist who understands the audience for these stories, including employers, employees and consumers, and who has experience with SEO, visuals and data. This journalist also will have the ability to tell watchdog stories about consumer issues, business and institutions in Central Kentucky.

Responsibilities:

• Regularly write news and enterprise stories that are clear, accurate, engaging and of high interest and relevance to local readers.
• Work with editors to assure that stories are complete, fair and in context.
• Handle deadline demands on breaking news when appropriate.
• Learn to develop a broad range of sources on the beat and build strong relationships with key people to identify stories relevant to them and important for our broader readership to understand.
• Use audience metrics to help determine which stories are resonating with readers and which are not. Work with editors to mine this data for takeaways about how we can build our audience.
• Produce basic video and photos in the field. Work with the visuals team to add more sophisticated visuals as a fundamental storytelling tool.
• Write and report on a continuous-news cycle, publishing to digital platforms as well as print.
• Use judgment in determining best digital tools for conveying news to readers in varying circumstances and formats
• Use social networks to seek story ideas, report in real time and connect with the community.

Qualifications: 

• College degree.
• 1+ years of reporting experience, preferably on local or business issues.
• Must have reliable transportation.
• Must have valid driver’s license
• Must have vehicle insurance (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works).

• Strong writing skills, excellent news judgment and a demonstrated ability to “see the story” that is going to matter to readers.
• Commitment to ethics.
• Ability to build source networks and bring a constant flow of story ideas.
• Ability to work collaboratively to aggressively tackle stories.
• Comfort with a job that will be demanding, fast-paced and constantly evolving.
• Facility with data, public records and business reports.

To apply, go here.