Staff Writer

Date Posted	April 03, 2024
Industry	Magazines / Publishing, Government
Specialty	Not Specified
Job Status	Not Specified

Description:

Air & Space Forces Magazine seeks an enthusiastic and experienced reporter to cover space and cyber warfare as a member of our award-winning news team. Enjoy unparalleled access to US Space Force and Department of the Air Force leaders while reporting on the rapidly developing military and commercial space sectors and offensive and defensive cyber operations. (While the focus of this beat is Space and Cyber, assigned coverage may include air and related military topics from time to time.) You will interview senior government officials, industry and experts, service members and lawmakers, all the while cultivating sources and using public records and events to gather insight and write compelling stories that captivate and educate our readers. 

Our reporters generate ~5-6 stories per week for our Daily Report, plus feature stories for our Magazine. This is a high-profile assignment for a growing news team that now serves over 2.5 million page views monthly to a hungry and well-informed international audience.  

Essential Functions of an Air & Space Forces Magazine Reporter:

• Agility to produce 5-6 news articles per week, ranging from about 400-1,200 words for AirAndSpaceForces.com;
• Research and write six or more well-crafted magazine features (2,000 to 3,000 words)
• Interview senior military and civilian officials, attend conferences, symposia, and other events, regularly visit the Pentagon and travel to military installations to military training and operations firsthand;
• Research, read, and curate relevant content from other sources;
• Apply best practices for search engine optimization (SEO) within WordPress to maximize web-wide exposure for news reporting.
• Help other staff with editing, proofreading, content development.

Education and Experience Required:

• Experience reporting as a professional journalist covering national defense/U.S. military; experience and interest in space and/or cybersecurity preferred. Proven ability to cover complex technical topics for an expert audience essential.
• Familiarity with the U.S. Air Force and/or U.S. Space Force and adjacent industries.
• Interest in national security.
• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field or equivalent work experience.
• Military experience a plus.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required:

• Superior writing and editing skills, and ability to produce clear and consistent content within a short turnaround time.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to consistently attend to details and meet deadlines.
• Ability to develop into a technical/functional expert and provide effective guidance to others.
• Ability and commitment to keep information confidential.
• Excellent verbal and interpersonal skills and a high degree of comfort interacting with industry leaders and senior military officials; must be able to question authority at any level.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office product suites (especially Excel and PowerPoint), WordPress, and knowledge or ability to learn other computer-based systems.

Benefits:

• Health Care (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (Generous 401k)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Generous Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short- & Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Wellness Resources