Mountain State Spotlight is hiring: Community Watchdog Reporter in Charleston

Mountain State Spotlight is seeking a Community Watchdog Reporter to shine a light on overlooked communities throughout the state.

Legacy media outlets in West Virginia are stretched thin. Many rural communities are forgotten and their important stories overlooked by newsrooms. Residents in those communities find it harder and harder to get information about the civic issues that matter to them. State policy discussions leave out the needs of those communities.

As Mountain State Spotlight’s Community Watchdog Reporter, you would work to change all of this.

You’ll tell in-depth investigative stories from every corner of West Virginia, paying particularly close attention to areas outside of the state’s more heavily-populated areas. You’ll develop sources, file Freedom of Information Acts in different jurisdictions, identify trends and explain complex topics to our readers.

As with all of our stories, we strive to lift up the voices of ordinary West Virginians, and incorporating these voices and engaging others is an especially large component of this beat. While this beat focuses on smaller counties and towns, it also includes communities of West Virginians who aren’t traditionally centered in media coverage like disabled people, communities of color and those for whom English isn’t their first language.

Relying heavily on engagement journalism, this reporter will help us earn the trust of people in these places, telling their stories and providing them with information they need to make their communities stronger.

Job responsibilities:

• Cover and produce investigative stories from communities across West Virginia, telling stories that are of immense local importance and significant statewide interest, reaching out to communities that too often receive little media attention and lifting up voices that otherwise might not be heard.
• Work with other Mountain State Spotlight reporters to best use our resources to investigate the kinds of abuses of power in local and state government that have held West Virginia back for generations.
• Provide readers with otherwise uncovered stories about problems or challenges faced by West Virginia communities and that can highlight solutions that can be spread and scaled up.
• Participate in the organization’s legislative coverage, where the session’s limited 60-day timeframe necessitates a faster pace, with a particular focus on how lawmakers’ actions and inactions are affecting people outside of Charleston.
• You have a demonstrated commitment to the use of investigative journalism, and live to develop and execute sustained, powerful stories that spur reform.
• You have experience in engagement journalism, and want to work in a place that isn’t afraid to let you put these tools to use.
• You are organized and can handle multiple projects under tight deadlines.
• You have a collaborative spirit and want to work with a team to give West Virginians the journalism they want, need and deserve. You believe that we are all stronger together.
• You believe that legacy models for local media’s business and journalism are broken and that new approaches are needed to serve the public and our democracy.
• You have sharp news judgment, and have a record of detailed reporting and powerful storytelling.

Experience as a journalist in West Virginia or other rural Appalachian states is a plus, but not mandatory.

We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people, veterans and people with disabilities. We believe that a newsroom that includes a broad range of life experiences will ultimately produce better journalism.

We’re committed to building a newsroom that cares for its employees, supports their professional growth, pays people equitably, provides work schedule flexibility as needed and offers opportunities for advancement.

If you meet some, but not all, of our requirements, we still encourage you to get in touch. We’re growing, so if you’re not right for this job, you might be right for the next one.

Compensation and benefits

• Full-time, competitive salary. Our pay range for this position is $50,000-$70,000, and is based on relevant professional experience.
• Benefits include health, vision, dental, and life insurance, and 401K. Twenty-five days of paid time off in addition to holidays and our annual “dark week” between Christmas and New Year’s.
• Parking and technology reimbursement.
• Paid parental leave.
• Flexible work schedule. Some weekend and evening hours will be required. This position requires regular travel around West Virginia.

Mountain State Spotlight is based in Charleston, West Virginia. Our state capital, Charleston is a small city where you’ll find friendly neighbors, a low cost of living, a close-knit community of journalists and numerous opportunities to explore our beautiful state. It’s also full of exciting news to report on, and faces many challenges that demand our vigorous brand of watchdog journalism.

The organization

Founded in March 2020, Mountain State Spotlight went from pitch to publish in less than six months in the midst of a raging global pandemic. Once we fill this position, we will have 13 employees. We have a plan to continue expanding our coverage, including bureaus across the state, to fill in growing information gaps as West Virginia’s legacy media continues to decline.

We are backed by the American Journalism Project, have partnered with ProPublica and Report for America, and are supported by major national journalism funders. We have big plans to grow to fill growing information gaps as West Virginia’s legacy media continues to decline.

Application process

To apply, or for more information, email jobs@mountainstatespotlight.org. Your application should include:

• Your resume;
• A cover letter telling us why you are the right person for Mountain State Spotlight’s team. Describe your vision of how you would approach an accountability-focused Community Watchdog beat in West Virginia;
• Non-paywalled links or PDF files of at least three examples of your best work.

Applications will be reviewed and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis, giving an advantage to early applicants. For best consideration, apply by Feb. 15.

Seniority level

• Entry level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Marketing, Public Relations, and Writing/Editing
• Industries: Online Audio and Video Media