The Press Democrat seeks a sports reporter

We have an immediate opening for a sports reporter to cover the vibrant high school sports scene in Napa County, the heart of California’s Wine Country.  This is a critical piece of a planned expansion by The Press Democrat, based in Santa Rosa, to cover key stories, high schools and the general sports community in Napa County. It’s an important new role on our staff, so it’s essential you know how to break stories, develop sources and be a superhero in social media with a commitment to digital urgency. The ideal candidate also will have stellar multimedia skills, especially as it relates to video – shooting games and starring in front of the camera as you offer pre- and post-game commentary.

The Press Democrat focuses on attracting (and retaining) new readers and doing consequential work that informs our readers, defends the First Amendment and protects the most vulnerable in Northern California. High school sports coverage is an important part of our strategy to expand into community journalism – showcasing teams, athletes, issues and the deep relationship between communities and high school sports.

Candidates must be naturally curious and motivated, with a proven ability to report compelling stories that resonate with readers. Data acquisition, analysis and fluency in Spanish are a plus.

We’re seeking someone who must:

• Be skilled at reporting, writing and growing your digital audience through social media.
• Be comfortable writing on a wide range of issues related to community/high school sports.
• Have a proven track record of generating story ideas and delivering high-impact enterprise work and exclusive stories.
• Be able to shoot production-quality photographs and videos.
• Have strong knowledge of AP style and be able to write and edit stories for grammar, spelling, content and libel.
• Excel in social media proficiency.
• Respond to emails, texts and voicemails in a timely manner.

This position is based in Santa Rosa, and you’ll be working from our just-opened newsroom.

The pay scale is $25.86 – 32.26 per hour, depending on years of experience

To be considered, apply on our career page at www.sonomamediainvestments.com/jobs and email Editor Richard Green – rick.green@pressdemocrat.com – the following:

• Your updated resume and a link to your LinkedIn profile.
• A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
• Links to 6-8 digital samples of your work. Show us what you’ve written, produced, or had a hand in that best reflects your writing skills and your best examples of watchdog/enterprise work.

For more details click here.