News Correspondent

Date Posted	April 18, 2024
Industry	Newspapers
Specialty	Politics
Required Education	Bachelor's Degree
Telecommute?	Telecommute
Job Status	Full-time

Description:

The Opportunity

We are in search of an enteprising reporter hungry to tell the whole truth. If you are a curious and critical thinker with strong relationship skills, willingness to dive deep into a story, and compelling written product, you could be the perfect addition to our growing team. In your new role, you will have the power to:

• Hold government accountable;
• Tell stories of human triumph and struggle;
• Cover developments in education, health care and our justice system; 
• Address important social questions; and 
• Explore issues surrounding economic progress and poverty. 

In this role, you will spend 3-4 months of the year covering the Mississippi Legislature and the remainder of the year working on more enterprise and investigative stories. We cover the things that matter most to Mississippians to make an impact. 

Curious about how you could contribute? Please email your resume, a couple of writing samples, and one reference to Publisher Russ Latino at russ@magnoliatribune.com.

What We Look for in a Team Member

Required:

• Compelling Written Product: The mission is to produce content that helps people better understand the world around them. Our reporters need to be able to understand, and break down in understandable terms, hard topics. They also need the ability to connect with readers on a human level and capture the human impact of stories. 
• A Curious and Analytical Mind: We are looking for reporters who wake up in the morning curious about what matters to and impacts Mississippians. Ability to think deeply about the type of information relevant to a given story, to identify necessary sources, and to do sufficient research to truly understand what you're writing about is a must. 
• Willingness to Swim Upstream: We are looking for reporters who are willing to challenge the status quo and push back against groupthink, not only in the coverage of difficult issues, but within the broader media landscape.

Preferred:

• Understanding of Policy & Political Process: One of Magnolia Tribune's chief value propositions as an outlet is bringing facts and analysis to the table that are often ignored in important debates. Understanding public policy and the political process are a big perks to being able to satisfy this goal. 
• Openness to Create Video and Podcast Content: The way people consume information is rapidly changing. We want to be dynamic and open to new ways of communicating essential information, including through video and podcast content.

What We Offer

• Schedule Flexibility: We care about getting the job done, not a time clock. As long as the team is putting out compelling work product that makes people think and helps them to better understand the world around them, we are flexible with work schedules.
• Work from Home: While we frequently meet as a team (sometimes in-person, sometimes via Zoom), Magnolia Tribune allows reporters to work from home, their favorite coffee shop, or on the road. Our strong preference, however, is for a reporter located in or willing to locate to the Jackson Metro area so that we can meet face-to-face when needed.
• Competitive Salary: Salary is negotiable commensurate with knowledge, skill, and experience, and will be market competitive.
• Health Benefits
• Retirement Savings Plan

Who We Are

Magnolia Tribune launched in January of 2023 with a commitment to tell Mississippi's true story. Conceptually, we are striving after the goal of becoming an in-state Wall Street Journal, with:

• Timely, relevant, and accurate news as the staple of our business model;
• Unique business and culture coverage to inform readers of economic developments happening around the state and explores some of what Mississippi has to offer; and
• An opinion section that reflects a diversity of viewpoints, but which also ensures the broaded media landscape is not devoid of thoughtful conservative perspective.

Our team is dynamic and our approach is nimble. In our first year in business, Magnolia Tribune established itself as a major player in the Mississippi media market, with nearly one million unique site visitors, over 6 million article reads on our site and through syndication, and regular television interviews for our team members. Our growth trajectory puts us on pace to be competitive with much older legacy media outlets in short order. 

At Magnolia Tribune, we think our beliefs set us apart. We believe that society benefits when there is a free exchange of ideas and a diverse range of viewpoints represented in public dialogue. We believe that business can be a tremendous force for good. We believe that life, in proper perspective, is more than political decisions and commerce—that much of life’s meaning comes from faith, fellowship, art and sport. And we believe that complex issues often require deep exploration to develop real understanding.

Internally, we are committed to core values of being results-driven and customer-focused, operating with integrity and doggedly pursuing the truth, and having each other's backs. 

Sound like a good fit? Please email your resume, at least two (2) writing samples, and a reference to Publisher Russ Latino at russ@magnoliatribune.com