Journo Jobs

Montclair Local News seeks a general assignment reporter

August 30, 2023

Posted by Mariam Ahmed

The Montclair Local seeks a curious and versatile general assignment reporter to seek out stories of importance to the Montclair community related to education and municipal government.

Responsibilities:

  • Produce between three to five news stories per week.
  • Communicate about technical topics, or those steeped in the procedure, process and bureaucracy attached to government and education.
  • Serve as a watchdog for the Montclair community, making government more transparent and holding power to account — questioning assumptions and seeking out answers that aren’t freely or easily given.
  • Conceive, source and pitch stories that will engage readers, answering pressing questions.
  • Develop and cultivate sources and engage in investigative reporting.
  • Commit to principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, with practical application to day-in, day-out community journalism.
  • Take ownership of the presentation of material online — writing strong headlines, seeking out or creating accompanying art and multimedia and positioning it on social platforms.
  • Play a role in some community-facing events and engagement efforts on behalf of Montclair Local.
  • Participate as a member of the reporting team by contributing to brainstorming sessions, coverage plans and meetings.
  • Coordinate with editors and journalists for maximum reach across our platforms.

Requirements:

The ideal candidate will have:

  • A minimum of two years journalism reporting experience.
  • Experience covering local government and/or education issues.
  • A sound understanding of news writing, journalistic ethics and story structure.
  • An ability to cultivate sources to break news and drive coverage that differentiates our organization from competitors.
  • Experience covering breaking news, public safety and court reporting.
  • An understanding of accountability and solutions journalism, with specific ideas about how to pursue both in Montclair.
  • An understanding of principles of community organizing, and their application to community partnership, engagement and story development.
  • An ability to work independently under deadline pressure and prioritize tasks appropriately
  • Demonstrated commitment to an equity lens in every aspect of reporting
  • Self-starter with proven ability to meet deadlines and pay close attention to detail and fact-checking
  • Experience with content management systems and social media channels.
  • Good time management and organizational skills

To apply, email your details and digital clips to: publisher@montclairlocal.news 

For further details click here.

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