Senior Texas Reporter, Chron Job at Hearst Communications, Inc. in Houston

Senior Texas Reporter, Chron

Chron is seeking a Senior Texas Reporter with sharp editorial skills, a strong voice, and experience working for a digital-first newsroom. The ideal candidate has a deep understanding and appreciation for the Lone Star State. They have experience covering news, culture, history, and trends unique to Texas, and, importantly, know how to find and tell a good story while working independently. As they cover a crowded and competitive landscape, the ideal candidate will use their experience and resources to unearth off-beat stories no one else has and that Chron's audience wants. Candidates will embrace the chance to craft well-reported stories with voice; they will be able to toggle between writing well-sourced features and faster-paced daily news on interesting personalities and indelible places; and demonstrate why the saying "as goes Texas, so goes the nation" is more relevant now than ever before.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Excellent news judgement and news writing skills
• Excellent reporting, researching, and interviewing skills
• Familiarity with the people, issues, and culture that are reshaping Texas
• High metabolism for turning out must-read stories each day
• Familiarity with national digital media landscape
• Familiarity with content management systems
• Strong copy-editing skills and knowledge of AP Style

Competencies/Critical Skills:

• Find unique angles on Texas, craft news and culture pieces that draw statewide attention
• Quickly cover newsworthy moments as they happen to capitalize on social and search traffic
• Juggle responsibilities, including reporting and writing multiple pieces daily across different topics
• Balance daily, weekly, and longer-lead deadlines, working with editor to establish your beat

Describe the most challenging aspect of this position:

• Establishing Chron’s new North Texas beat, finding stories that reflect regional knowledge & curiosity
• Working with an editor to craft stories and franchises exciting to readers inside and outside of Texas
• Covering a wide variety of topics, from news and weather to North Texas culture and local drama

What type of decisions does this position refer to others for approval?

• Development of long form features, franchises, and projects

Measures of success for this position include:

• Overall traffic performance in aims of meeting daily and monthly goals
• Proven success establishing a new area of coverage for Chron’s audience
• Meeting deadlines and keeping pace with publishing schedule while improving work quality
• Mentions, links, shares, and pickups of stories from prominent third-party publications
• Reader shares and other engagement with stories on social media platforms
• Overall increase of unique in-DMA visitors and loyal in-DMA visitors

Experience, Qualifications, Technical Requirements, and Education:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or English.
• Experience: At least 5-7 years of news reporting experience, with a strong focus on covering Texas news and culture.
• Knowledge: Familiarity with key personalities and events across Texas; a deep connection to Texas culture is highly preferred.
• Technical Skills: Experience with analytics tools such as Chartbeat, Google Analytics, or Looker is preferred.
• Publishing Platforms: Proficiency in using a CMS and publishing to digital platforms is preferred.