The Milwaukee Business Journal is looking for a reporter to cover retail, restaurants and banking. Though this is a nine-month reporting position, a reporter who does well in this role will have opportunity to land a permanent position in Milwaukee or another ACBJ newsroom.
The ideal candidate brings exceptional journalism skills – source building, sharp news judgment, interviewing prowess, strong analytical and investigative reporting, clear writing, document use – and strong digital content sensibility. Whatever the platform, this reporter will produce content that is accompanied by perspective and context for a vibrant audience of entrepreneurs, business owners, executives and professionals in one of the nation’s most vibrant economic regions.
Specifically, this reporter will cover Milwaukee’s retail, restaurants, banking and education sectors, producing everything from scoops about established companies, startups and entrepreneurs, to sophisticated analysis of the issues that affect the industries, to savvy, important coverage of the executives, ideas and characters who make it go.
The audience for this reporter runs from start-up executives to long-tenured CEOs, executives at every level in between, and everyone who wants to know and/or do business with them.
Duties
A Business Journal reporter is competitive, collaborative and curious. He or she is expected to contribute both short- and long-form stories to our news products online, in email and in print. Specifically, reporters are expected to own every important story on their beat(s); use networking events, social media platforms and other community-building outlets to expand and fortify their source base and audience; work collaboratively with other newsroom staffers to maximize impact and accessibility of stories reported; and meet or exceed goals related to audience engagement. Also, scoops matter. A lot.
Skills
• Proven excellence in reporting and writing
• Desire and ability to break news and to identify newsworthy events and sources
• Strong analytical and investigative-interviewing skills
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Ability to relate comfortably to a wide range of people, in person, on the phone and online
• A clear drive to develop sources and build audience
• Solid understanding of news writing, journalistic ethics and story structure.
• Ability to leverage relationships with sources to deliver content that differentiates the organization from competitors.
• Multimedia skills, including video, photos, broadcast, on-camera, helpful.
Experience
• 1-3 years of reporting experience.
• Proven experience building, maintaining and engaging an active audience.
• Proven experience building and maintaining a strong source base.
• Knowledge of business principles essential.
• Milwaukee community experience a plus.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in journalism
To apply, email a resume, cover letter and links to clips that best show enterprise and scoops reporting to Mark Kass, editor-in-chief, Milwaukee Business Journal, at mkass@bizjournals.com.
