Gannett Co., Inc. is hiring: Middletown Public Service Reporter in City of Middl

Posted Friday, October 11, 2024 at 4:00 AM

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Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a scalable, growth focused media and digital marketing solutions company. Our current portfolio of trusted media brands includes the USA TODAY NETWORK and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, uses innovation and software to enable small and medium-sized businesses to grow.

The Middletown Times-Herald Record seeks an energetic and thoughtful public service reporter, based in Middletown, who will immerse themselves in the community and build relationships with first-hand sources to answer the key questions that influence residents’ daily lives.

This reporter will focus on how local governmental decisions impact area residents and will explore the local development scene, including commercial, retail, and housing, to identify and analyze the key forces shaping the growing community.

The reporter will cover both failures and successes, delivering unique, essential reporting, and becoming a must-follow source for what is happening in these communities, particularly those who have historically been underrepresented.

This reporter will pursue news from local government and school entities, seeking angles answering “Who?”, “How?”, and “Why?” when significant public impact occurs.

Instead of stories that focus on inner-government workings, this journalist will provide people-centered, community-centered reporting. Success comes through unique and distinctive reporting or helpful FAQ stories that answer readers’ questions and help them with actionable insight.

Data skills are considered a key element of this role, and the reporter should feel comfortable scanning and sorting an Excel spreadsheet or filing FOIA requests.

This role requires a keen sense of meeting our current and future audience where they’re at – building connections through social media platforms, community events, or school board meetings. With robust sourcing, this reporter will identify problems and steer readers toward solutions while ensuring public transparency and accountability.

The best candidate can pivot quickly between breaking stories, quick-turn, and long-range enterprise, delivering strong content through various storytelling forms, including visuals, lists, explainers, and social media.

Based in Middletown, the journalist will also be involved in general breaking news as needed, including crime and public safety reporting, and assist in news throughout the Hudson Valley of New York.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

• Strong writing skills and a command of grammar and style.
• Experience with social media, including Instagram Stories, as a tool to build audience and as a source for beat development.
• Knowledge of data-based reporting and use of spreadsheets such as Excel.
• Experience with and interest in multimedia, including video and podcasting.
• A self-starter who owns the beat yet works collaboratively with others locally and regionally.
• A journalist committed to values of fairness, diversity, inclusion, and professionalism.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• At least two years of applicable experience as a reporter/writer.
• Proven experience with content management systems and social media channels.
• Good time management and organizational skills.

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don't limit your upload to a resume; show us what you've done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

• Your resume - one to two pages
• A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job
• Links to 3-6 online samples of your work.

It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.

The hourly rate for this role will range between $12.55 and $29.30. Variable compensation is not reflected in these figures and based on the role, may be applicable. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, location, and union representation, if applicable.

Gannett Co., Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a diverse workforce. As such, we will consider all qualified applicants for employment and do not discriminate in connection with employment decisions on the basis of an applicant or employee’s protected characteristics.