The Star-Ledger seeks a cannabis reporter

NJ Advance Media, the parent company of NJ.com, The Star-Ledger and NJ Cannabis Insider, is seeking a Cannabis Life reporter to cover the commerce, retail, product & culture in New Jersey’s soon-to-open cannabis marketplace. If you’re a cannabis connoisseur with journalism chops, apply now! New Jersey will be one of the largest legal cannabis markets on the East Coast and our state is already a magnet for industry activity. This is a vibrant and growing subset of our economy and this beat will present the opportunity to break news, review products and deliver high-impact enterprise.

NJ Cannabis Insider is a B2B resource that connects businesses through monthly events and a weekly subscriber-only trade journal. Our consumer-service journalism publishes on NJ.com, the largest news outlet in the Garden State.

We’re looking for an outgoing, curious and versatile reporter who will be our audience’s ultimate guide to New Jersey’s cannabis consumer marketplace. This is a newly created position on our team, and you’ll have the chance to help shape our coverage. We are a collaborative team.

This position reports to NJ Cannabis Insider’s publisher and editor and will work closely with the NJ Advance Media cannabis team of reporters and events staff.

Our team wants to add an innovative and creative person who is unafraid to think big — someone who’ll embrace being a personality in the cannabis space because of their expertise for reviewing the latest products and their guidance on store openings. You will also likely be known outside of our market, as we extend our footprint into New York City and Philadelphia.

Whether it’s a new strain of medical cannabis to treat PTSD, CBD beauty and wellness lotions, infused beverages, or a high-end bong, you’ll have the opportunity to review and recommend products to NJ.com’s 7.5 million monthly unique users.

You’ll create seasonal, authoritative shopping guides, frequently writing about new dispensary openings, innovators in the space, business, and culture trends. You’ll also be the go-to reporter for NJ Cannabis Insider’s strategic business audience, seeking to get an edge on the competition. You’ll make yourself available via social media or other networking tools to answer consumer questions, but also identify trends the business community should know about.

You’ll be asked to curate and moderate panels at our events and meetups, where you’ll schmooze with industry power players and educate the canna-curious. You’ll also travel to key conferences to stay on top of trends important to our community.

The ideal candidate will have a deep knowledge and curiosity about cannabis and hemp. You know how to work a beat; you meet deadlines and your copy is something you take great pride in. Cultural competency is a must in this highly diverse space.

What you’ll do:

• Post multiple articles a week in our CMS. Topics will include cannabis trending stories, retail news, product-usage tips, how-to guides, and consumer Q&As
• Contribute to the planning and hosting of events, working with colleagues from various departments
• Grow and retain our audience through content, newsletters, social media, events and other networking tools
• Attend local and out-of-town industry meetings/conferences and business-related social functions
• Track key metrics to ensure content is performing to goal

For this position, we are looking for candidates with:

• Familiarity and knowledge of cannabis
• At least 5 years of experience with a proven ability in writing, preferably with cannabis content
• A passion for informing readers and building audiences
• Clean writing copy, plus the ability to present information clearly and quickly
• Comfortable with or growing into public speaking and being on camera
• Strong organizational, time management and communication skills
• A business mindset
• Ability to work independently as needed and prioritize multiple tasks appropriately
• Commensurate experience or a degree in Journalism, Communications, or a related field

To apply, go here.