General Assignment Reporter

Date Posted	August 28, 2023
Industry	Digital Media, Nonprofit
Specialty	Local News
Job Status	Full-time

Description:

The Montclair Local seeks a curious and versatile general assignment reporter to seek out stories of importance to the Montclair community related to education and municipal government. 

Responsibilities

• Produce between three to five news stories per week.
• Communicate about technical topics, or those steeped in the procedure, process and bureaucracy attached to government and education.
• Serve as a watchdog for the Montclair community, making government more transparent and holding power to account — questioning assumptions and seeking out answers that aren’t freely or easily given.
• Conceive, source and pitch stories that will engage readers, answering pressing questions.
• Develop and cultivate sources and engage in investigative reporting.
• Commit to principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, with practical application to day-in, day-out community journalism.
• Take ownership of the presentation of material online — writing strong headlines, seeking out or creating accompanying art and multimedia and positioning it on social platforms.
• Play a role in some community-facing events and engagement efforts on behalf of Montclair Local.
• Participate as a member of the reporting team by contributing to brainstorming sessions, coverage plans and meetings.
• Coordinate with editors and journalists for maximum reach across our platforms. 

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have:

• A minimum of two years journalism reporting experience. 
• Experience covering local government and/or education issues.  
• A sound understanding of news writing, journalistic ethics and story structure.
• An ability to cultivate sources to break news and drive coverage that differentiates our organization from competitors.
• Experience covering breaking news, public safety and court reporting.
• An understanding of accountability and solutions journalism, with specific ideas about how to pursue both in Montclair.
• An understanding of principles of community organizing, and their application to community partnership, engagement and story development.
• An ability to work independently under deadline pressure and prioritize tasks appropriately
• Demonstrated commitment to an equity lens in every aspect of reporting
• Self-starter with proven ability to meet deadlines and pay close attention to detail and fact-checking
• Experience with content management systems and social media channels.
• Good time management and organizational skills

To apply, email your details and digital clips to: publisher@montclairlocal.news