Award-winning independent newsroom seeks entrepreneurial reporter

Date Posted	June 08, 2023
Industry	Newspapers / Wires, Digital Media
Required Education	Associate's Degree
Job Status	Full-time

Description:

Why come to work here?

Let’s be real. Local news reporting is not the most glamorous gig in the world. There are bigger newsrooms. There are fancier jobs. But if you want to grow in your career and be ready for the next step, you will be hard-pressed to find a better opportunity. Here’s what we mean. 

• Welcoming. Can you think of anything more welcoming than a community that loves local news so much they fully funded an RFA position before the reporter even moved in? That’s us.

• Entrepreneurial. You’ll learn how to think through new initiatives. You’ll call some of your own shots. You’ll be in a safe place to think big and fail fast. And everyone around you will have your back.

• Community focused. You will learn all about how memberships and subscriptions support our reporting and make it possible.

• Solutions Journalism. We are going to teach you how to do Solutions Journalism at a very high level and you’ll practice it consistently.

• Community engagement. Our readers are sour assignment editors through Open Source, which means you’ll learn community engagement from the ground up. You’ll answer reader questions and develop relationships with sources in a way you don’t learn in J-school.

• Professional development. We’re relentless about helping our staff get better and improve through professional development opportunities.

• Connected.  We count the Knight Foundation, the Solutions Journalism Network, Hearken, the Meta Journalism Project, the Google News Initiative, LION Publishers, the Medill School of Journalism, The Sulzberger Fellowship at Columbia University, the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, Report for America, the NYC Media Lab, the Associated Press, and many more among our partners. 

Bottom line: we may not be your last job, but we will prepare you for the next one. 

Let’s fact-check those claims

• Our 2021 Impact Report and members tell our story.

• Shelby Ohio fully funds a reporter to cover Northern Richland County

• Deep audience listening results in Citizens’ Agenda.

• Newsroom Partnerships and memberships add up to $250k support for local reporters.

• An AI startup built in our newsroom helps newsrooms in over 30 markets.

• How a story on infant mortality turned into a community baby shower.

• 2020’s racial reckoning turned into a collaboration with a Black-owned barbershop.

• The Source and SJN co-hosted a national revenue summit in Mansfield.

• Solutions Journalism at the Source makes Knight’s “Best of” list for 2019.

• And when it’s time to relax, how about a rock show in the newsroom?

“Their commitment to creating a better news product is unwavering, and it's deeply tied to creating journalism that truly serves and builds their community," said Samantha McCann, former COO, The Solutions Journalism Network. "Every publication could learn a thing or two from Richland Source.”

Job Description 

We are looking for an innovative, entrepreneurial reporter who isn't afraid to break from the mold of a traditional newsroom. Ideally, our reporter will make a home in their coverage area to best become part of the community, respond to news as quickly as possible, and engage with our readers.

We expect this reporter to pick their spots when it comes to working with a Solutions Journalism mindset, as this is a key part of what we do. We also utilize Open Source, a reader-involvement tool that solicits questions from readers that we expect to be another consistent component of the position.

Our team at all three sites works together to frequently share content, ideas and resources. Our small network of sites will combine for approximately 25 million page views this year and 500k visitors per month.

Qualifications and Responsibilities

• A college graduate with strong writing, reporting and interviewing skills

• Basic knowledge of photography, audio and video production 

• A well-rounded individual who can cover a city council or school board meeting, or take a camera to a Friday night high school football game 

• Ability to work under tight deadlines in a fluid schedule.

• Write accurate, clear and well-reported stories while facing daily deadlines

• Identify and pitch stories on various subjects

• Write and update stories on the news of the day

• Work with other reporters on various assignments

• Collaborate with other departments for various assignments

• Occasional travel and work on nights, weekends and holidays

It’s possible that a great candidate won’t check all of these boxes. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself and why your background makes you a great fit.

Culture

The culture here is collaborative and entrepreneurial, and you need to know that going in. This isn't a giant newspaper and we don't act that way. If you want a 200-foot tall wall between the newsroom and the revenue team, we are not the place for you. We never compromise our ethics, but are realistic about the position the business of local news finds itself in, and we -- all of us -- are committed to fixing it. Our team works together frequently to support membership efforts, organize events, meet with readers, and create content. Our standards are high and we work our tails off, but we have fun while we do it.

We are non-partisan, in case you were wondering. We’re not interested in being a part of the hate economy that has done so much damage to our industry and democracy. That said, to quote the incredible ad writers at the Texas Tribune, “non-partisan is not non-thinking. We call B.S. when B.S. needs to be called.”

Location

We’re a hybrid workforce that maintains co-working offices in each of our 3 markets. Our vibrant HQ is located in a growing downtown section of Mansfield, within walking distance of an emerging scene encompassing bars, live music venues, restaurants and the best coffee shop and bakery in town. Mount Vernon and Ashland are both within driving distance and have bustling small town social scenes nearby all kinds of recreational activity. Big city life is only an hour away in Cleveland or Columbus.

Salary & Benefits

• $32,000 with up to $8,000 in annual performance bonuses

• Downtown office in a vibrant co-working space with free parking.

• A company-wide hybrid work environment. 

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• An HSA with an employer contribution.

• Paid parental leave.

• 401k program with a 100% employer match.

• 3 weeks paid vacation.

• Up to 2 weeks PTO in addition to vacation.

• Employer-paid emotional and mental health support / counseling.

• 8 paid holidays, including MLK day and Juneteenth.

• A generous technology and cell phone stipend.

Inclusivity

We believe that the best organizations reflect the communities they serve, and we’re taking steps to make that a reality at the Source. We’re committed to inclusivity for all people and backgrounds. We especially encourage people from traditionally marginalized backgrounds to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities.