A reporter for Pacific Business News must be competitive, nimble and driven to break news about the most important industries, companies and people in Hawaii. Our reporters are expected to write and report short-form and long-form stories for the website each day and for the weekly print edition. It requires a versatile, hungry self-starter with a passion for news and journalism who can provide forward-looking business intelligence to savvy readers who will use it to grow their businesses and/or advance their careers. Our content gives them a leg up on their competitors, connects them with decision-makers and delineates growth strategies that work from those that don’t. This usually entails working our source networks and digging up news before it’s announced or readily available.
The ideal candidate will blend traditional journalism skills — source building, sharp news judgment, interviewing prowess and scoop-driven reporting — with online and social media know-how. Reporters in our newsroom don’t just turn in copy. They include photos, slideshows and other multimedia components that advance the story and further engage our audience. They break hard news that sometimes sources don’t want brought to light, but they don’t burn bridges.
The position follows a partially hybrid schedule, with in-office work on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Mondays and Fridays offer flexibility to work remotely, if preferred. Please note that, depending on business needs, additional in-office days may occasionally be required. The role also includes being available to attend evening business events as needed.
Job Responsibilities
- PBN reporters are tasked with consistently producing newsy, engaging daily online content for our website and daily email newsletters.
- They are expected to break news by owning their beats, dictating day-to-day coverage and thriving on digging out source-driven exclusives. Their stories deliver intel that makes the jobs of local business owners and executives easier.
- They balance the highest storytelling, reporting, and writing standards with ambitious traffic and engagement objectives.
- They relentlessly develop sources and manage relationships with high-level executives and other community leaders.
- They scoop competitors on every story of any significance, not only telling them what happened, but why and how.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in journalism
- 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.
- Proficient with MS Office products
- Proficient with web-based communication platforms (Teams, Zoom, Webex, etc.)
To apply, go here.
Chris RoushChris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.