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
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