City Reporter

Date Posted	January 29, 2026
Industry	Digital Media
Specialty	Not Specified
Remote / Telecommute	Hybrid
Job Status	Full-time
Salary	$40,000 to $45,000

Description:

Who you’ll work for: Ashland.news is the local community news source for Ashland, Oregon, collecting, curating and distributing a wide range of local news informing the civic, economic and cultural life of residents of the 97520 (Ashland) and 97540 (Talent) zip code areas, a population of roughly 35,000 people in an area of approximately 565 square miles.

Ashland.news is a nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors guided by a mission statement: Ashland.news provides sustainable, independent journalism that informs, connects, and engages the community with accurate, trustworthy news, fostering civic dialogue and cultural engagement.

Launched Jan. 14, 2022, to fill a news vacuum left by the closure of some legacy, for-profit news operations and the withering away of others, in three years Ashland.news has grown to a newsroom staff of four full-time and two part-time employees serving a growing audience through its website, Ashland.news, a three-times-a-week emailed newsletter, quarterly community engagement events and periodic special print editions mailed to all area addresses.

Where you’ll work: Ashland.news’ office is located in the charming downtown of Ashland, Oregon, known as the home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Southern Oregon University. The historic town’s rich cultural milieu is set in the scenic Rogue Valley, replete with wineries, hiking and biking trails, access to fishing and river rafting and skiing at Mount Ashland.

What you’ll do: You’ll get to know one of America’s favorite small towns by covering city government and public safety beats, plus general assignment and breaking news coverage. Coverage areas run the full gamut of community news, including environment, business, labor, health, nonprofits, sports, and arts & events. A typical work week might involve covering a city council meeting, compiling a log of law enforcement activity, interviewing a forest supervisor for a story about the watershed, writing a feature story on a recently declared candidate for office and covering breaking news about a water main leak.

What skills you’ll need: 

Strong written and verbal skills and familiarity with AP style, with a capacity for clear, engaging writing, fresh story framing and diverse sourcing. 

An understanding of and interest in learning more about municipal government and public safety agencies.

Interpersonal skills to build beat sources and newsroom working partnerships.

Initiative and resourcefulness to identify, research and develop enterprise stories on significant issues impacting the community.

Excellent time management skills with ability to work under tight deadlines.

Familiarity with and commitment to following journalistic ethics.

Must have familiarity with standard computer environments, including iOS and Windows, plus Word and Excel. 

Photographic skills required, video and audio skills a plus.

A degree in Journalism, Communications or related field is a plus, or commensurate experience.

Local news experience preferred, but recent journalism grads with some reporting experience are welcome to apply. 

We encourage those with diverse experiences and backgrounds to apply. 

Proficiency in Spanish a plus.

Good driving record and reliable transportation required.

When you’ll work: The position is full time. Standard business hours are the starting point, with evening and weekend work common as news coverage dictates.

Why do this work: The work you’ll do here providing a needed service for an appreciative community will prove all the more rewarding as it will be done in service to the nonprofit’s mission, not beholden to profit-loss targets. You’ll work with a talented, committed team of journalists whose success is measured by the value they deliver to readers, not owners.

What you’ll earn: $21-23 per hour. Paid holidays, vacation and stipends for health, vision and dental insurance and cell phone use.

How to apply: Email cover letter, resume and links to (or attach) three to five story samples to hiring@ashland.news. Apply soon — applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with position filled ASAP.