The Washington Business Journal is seeking a technology reporter to cover the startup scene, venture capital, social media, technology and biotechnology in Greater Washington, contributing to a daily TechFlash email product.
A Business Journal reporter is the beating heart of the organization and the business, with the vital task of pumping news, information and life into our products on all platforms. First and foremost, reporters must establish themselves as the go-to source of news, data and perspective in their assigned area of coverage.
The top mission: to own audience, by every measure. Our reporters must marry strong traditional journalism skills – source building, sharp interviewing techniques, strong analytical and investigative reporting skills, clear writing, document use – with online and social media know-how. They are expected to contribute both short-form (daily online posts) and long-form (print) stories to our news products.
Scoops matter. A lot. Scoops serve as the oxygen supporting the rest of our content operations and are vital to “owning” one’s beat. Only by being “out front” of the news can our reporters establish their credibility with their audience, identify the most influential newsmakers, and interpret the news on their beats with authority.
To this end, reporters are expected to break important hard news online and use print and video to tell the story behind the headlines, providing deeper analysis of newsworthy events. Whatever the platform, we strive to produce content – original and curated – that is accompanied by perspective and context. A Business Journal reporter is widely recognized as the community’s foremost authority on their assigned beat.
The Business Journal brand provides the kind of access to business and community leaders that other journalists can only hope for, and it is the responsibility of our reporters to use networking events, Twitter, LinkedIn and other community-building outlets to expand and fortify their source pool and audience. Reporters will be responsible for identifying sources and outside writers to target as contributors to the Business Journal on their beats.
With online and other metrics, business journals can determine how engaged readers are with our online content, and reporters and editors will be responsible for driving online engagement among loyal (repeat) readers. Constant audience growth is a key metric of success.
To apply, contact Doug Fruehling, editor, at dwfruehling@bizjournals.com.
