The Seattle Times, a family-owned news organization, is hiring an Arts and Culture Reporter who will be tasked with keeping their finger on the pulse of the rich arts and entertainment scene in the Greater Seattle area.
We’re looking for someone who can dive into the Seattle arts scene, develop a deep network of sources and find unique, interesting stories that surprise, entertain, inform and resonate with readers. We want someone with a strong interest in arts and culture — this umbrella can cover theater, visual arts, classical music, etc. — who is versatile enough to take on everything from deeply reported stories to public records-related journalism and arts criticism with occasional reviews and previews. Are you a journalist who takes pride in your ability to work a beat to find and turn a variety of stories from breaking news to medium-length profiles and in-depth enterprise? Do you have a knack for finding and presenting arts stories in a way that will appeal to general audiences? If so, we want to talk to you.
You’ll join a Features staff that’s team-focused and very collaborative, and you’ll be expected to work closely with editors to prioritize and chart direction on a beat that encompasses a wide gamut of different arts mediums.
Responsibilities:
- Keep abreast of everything going on in the Seattle-area arts scene. Be familiar with the main players, organizations and others on the beat.
- Develop and maintain a vast network of sources in the Seattle-area arts world.
- Stay on top of Seattle-area arts news, and be aware of news, developments and trends in the arts world in general — regionally and nationally.
- Be a versatile reporter who can react quickly to breaking news, work on daily- and medium-length stories as well as long-range enterprise stories, and find stories off the beat that are relevant and engaging to our audience.
- Be comfortable using social media and other audience engagement tactics to identify story ideas and interact with readers.
- Work closely with an editor to chart direction and make coverage decisions based on our goals and priorities.
- Be a team player and work with other members of our newsroom and our arts and entertainment coverage team to find, conceive of and execute the best and most relevant stories for our readership.
- Understand and look out for opportunities to diversify our coverage of the arts and entertainment sector, while always keeping marginalized and underrepresented communities in mind.
- Demonstrate a commitment to equity and inclusion in story choice, sourcing and framing.
Qualifications:
- Experience: At least 2 years of beat reporting experience, preferably in the arts and entertainment realm, and preferably with a daily or primarily-digital news organization.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant experience.
- Familiarity with, and a deep interest in, the arts world.
- Experience writing and reporting a breadth of stories, from breaking news in a timely manner to longer-form journalism and enterprise, preferably with some experience covering the arts.
- Knowledge of, or background in, reporting on theater and visual arts is a bonus.
- Able and willing to use social media to inform and assist your reporting and engage with audiences and potential sources.
- Able and willing to file public records requests and use documents to inform your reporting when necessary. Experience in this arena is a bonus.
- Some familiarity with digital news production, digital best practices and analytics is a bonus. Demonstrate willingness to continue to develop your understanding of these things.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how to build sources on a beat and work a beat to find stories.
- Team-oriented, with a collaborative spirit.
- A good communicator.
- Ability to analyze facts and make judgments about relevance, newsworthiness, fairness, etc., under pressure and on deadline.
- Cultural competence and awareness of best practices related to inclusive journalism.
- Ability to write clearly, accurately and creatively on multiple platforms and social networks.
- Able and willing to work nights and weekends as needed based on coverage priorities.
Compensation: The full salary range for this position is $41,600 to $96,600. We typically pay between $55,000 and $85,000, depending on experience and qualifications.
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