The Morning Call is looking to hire a dedicated and self-motivated journalist to cover Lehigh Valley retail openings/closings with a focus on local restaurants, dining trends, and high-profile events for digital, print, and special publications. The position is remote but must be local to Allentown, PA.
What you will do:
- Report on retail news with a focus on restaurant openings and closings in the greater Lehigh Valley region in eastern Pennsylvania with high audience appeal
- Cover local dining trends, including, for example, how new Pennsylvania tip rules are affecting restaurant workers, how staff shortages are affecting restaurateurs and diners alike, how restaurants are enhancing experiences for customers and what rising menu prices and shrinking menu options mean for diners
- Produce holiday dining guides (Mothers Day, Valentines Day, Thanksgiving, Easter, etc.)
- Provide updates on upcoming Lehigh Valley restaurant weeks and high-profile local food events
- Deliver regular dining listicles (Best Pizza, Best Vegetarian Spots, Best Hoagies, Best Burgers, etc.) based on personal opinion or audience driven tips
- Assist as needed with major event previews
- Aggregate weekly roundup of restaurant/retail openings and closings to convert this weekly collection (copy and paste) into a Sunday Retail Watch feature for print
- Write clean-copy, AP-style news articles based on original reporting and utilize spell check tools such as Grammarly and Tanza to self-proof
- Generate and pitch ideas daily/weekly/long term for original stories and features
- Attend/collaborate in story planning and special section meetings as requested
- iPhone photography and video clips of retail / restaurants / dining as needed
- Social media audience engagement on multiple platforms
- Regular evaluation of digital audience metrics tools
What you will bring:
- Availability to work the equivalent of a 5-day, 40-hour week, including a weekend rotation shift every two months
- Bachelor’s degree
- Previous experience in Journalism
- Strong digital and social media skills
- The ability to develop sources through a variety of different means
- Possess excellent communication skills, show initiative and exercise good news judgment
- Ability to handle daily, short-term and long-term assignments simultaneously
- The ability and willingness to change gears based on a variety of factors, including audience demand
- Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
The Morning Call is a Tribune Publishing newspaper, located in the thriving Lehigh Valley
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