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Job Title

Collin County Reporter

Business Title

Staff Writer

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Location

Downtown Dallas (TDMN) - Dallas, TX 75201 US (Primary)

Job Type

Full-Time

Exemption Type

Non-Exempt

Travel

Some Travel

Job Description

The Dallas Morning News is seeking an ambitious, hard-charging reporter to cover fast-growing Collin County.

This reporter will be one of three reporters focused on the booming county just north of Dallas, home to The Star (Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters) and a growing Asian population. This role will report on the county’s most populous cities: Plano (290,000), Frisco (225,000) and McKinney (214,000). Coverage will also include a few municipalities that have had about a 50% increase in population since 2020: Melissa (50%), Princeton (55%) and Anna (52%).

Development, community issues and government accountability matter most in these northern suburbs. We want a reporter eager to invest themselves in these communities, getting to know the culture and the people.

Stories from Collin County need to have an impact, drive change and highlight unique trends and issues. On any given week our Collin County team produces breaking news, short-term enterprise and strong accountability work. Reporters on this team need to be as comfortable filing freedom of information requests as they are attending a church service to write about an interesting event or person.

We want a reporter adept at finding stories on their own, as well as multitasking. In this job, both skills are a must.

Collaboration with the broader newsroom is critical, as there is also an opportunity to partner on strong, long-term enterprise reporting.

If you get excited about uncovering stories that shock and surprise, and you enjoy making strong connections with stakeholders to inform readers and effect change, we want to talk to you.

Job Responsibilities

Assignments will include a mix of daily beat stories, enterprise and long-term accountability. Reporters on the local government accountability team are expected to produce news and scoops in their communities, be comfortable filing records requests and understand and deliver coverage oriented to our north star of covering the quality of life in North Texas. Some night and weekend work might be required.

Job Requirements

Here’s our list of preferred skills and experience (this is not a checklist of requirements, but should be considered as a pool of preferred qualifications):

• Use social media for newsgathering and audience development
• Basic photo editing
• Comfort with fast-paced incremental storytelling (e.g., producing social media updates, updating online stories)
• Demonstrated ability to work remotely via smartphone or laptop computer
• Understanding of platforms and audiences and ability to compose stories appropriate to the platform of publication (e.g., voice, style, formatting, hyperlinks)
• Basic knowledge of SEO and social headline-writing techniques
• Collaborate effectively with team members and across newsroom teams

Job requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in journalism or related field
• A strong nose for news and a passion for breaking it
• Excellent verbal and analytical skills
• The ability to work on all stories under pressure with assigned deadlines and interact collaboratively with peers and managers.
• Must have a valid driver's license and registered vehicle to travel to assignments

Flexibility

The Dallas Morning News offers a hybrid work schedule, with employees splitting their time between home and our office three days a week (Tuesday through Thursday) in vibrant downtown Dallas.

Inclusivity

Dallas Morning News recognizes that different perspectives and backgrounds drive the innovation and ideas that are essential to our business success. To that end, we are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff. Diversity, equity and inclusion will be embedded in the hiring, promotion and development of our employees, in reaching diverse audiences with our content, and in choosing the companies with which we do business.

Why Join Us? We Invest in Your Success and Well-Being

We believe in creating a supportive, inclusive, and engaging work environment. Here are just a few of the benefits and perks we offer:

Work-Life Balance & Flexibility

• Flexible Work Schedules
• 18 Paid Time Off Days & 9 Paid Holidays
• 12 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave
• 8 Hours of Community Service Time Off
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• MDLive Telemedicine – 24/7/365 Access to Board-Certified Doctors
• Monthly Webinars on Health & Wealth Topics for All Employees
• Onsite Fitness Center
• Pet Insurance

Professional Growth & Development

• Leadership Development Programs
• Internal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
• Internal Culture Committee
• Retirement Benefits, Including Employer Contributions