Southern Communities Reporter

Date Posted	March 19, 2026
Industry	Digital Media
Specialty	Local News
Job Status	Full-time
Salary	$50,000-$60,000

Description:

Southern Communities Reporter

Pittsburgh’s Public Source is seeking a reporter to cover the communities south and southeast of Pittsburgh — the South Hills suburbs and the Mon Valley river corridor. This reporter must be driven by curiosity and a genuine commitment to place, with the ability to produce timely stories, accountability reporting and enterprise journalism about the people, systems and decisions that shape life in communities that have been underserved by consistent local news coverage.

The beat spans the South Hills suburbs — West Mifflin, Baldwin, Brentwood, Bethel Park, Mount Lebanon and beyond — and the Mon Valley river corridor: Homestead, Munhall, McKeesport, Duquesne, Clairton, Braddock.

Some of these communities carry the heaviest environmental burdens in Pennsylvania. Others are suburban and growing. The reporter we hire will build sources, show up consistently, earn trust and produce journalism that helps residents understand the systems and decisions that shape their lives. Topics will span local government, schools, the environment, health and quality of life, transportation and infrastructure. 

Public Source’s southern communities reporter must be eager to thrive in a newsroom that checks the facts, engages with diverse communities and pursues transparency with relentless fairness. This is a geographic beat (the first of its kind at Public Source) rooted in specific places and the people who live in them. Because we cover time-sensitive news but also uncover the forces shaping our region long-term, this reporter should have the diligence to assemble an accurate and fair story in hours, but also the organized mindset necessary to plan and execute enterprise journalism. 

The Public Source Southern Communities Reporter is expected to:

• Cover a geographic beat thoroughly, building a consistent, recognizable presence and a source network across municipalities, community organizations, schools and residents in the South Hills and the Mon Valley

• Produce one story a week at minimum with solid reporting and visuals, and an eye toward pursuing a consistent mix of accountability reporting, explanatory journalism and community-driven stories 

• Utilize alternative storytelling techniques including maps, charts, timelines and other elements, plus share and contribute to Public Source’s work on social media and other channels in a variety of ways

• Engage regularly with community groups and cultivate audience in the region, including attendance at evening and weekend events, and represent Public Source publicly in a professional manner

• Collaborate with other reporters, visual journalists, audience engagement professionals, interns, fact-checkers and editors

We seek experience, skills or at least an eagerness to learn in the following areas:

• Interviewing across communities, including with people who have reasons to be skeptical of journalists

• Knowledge of or demonstrated interest in the South Hills, Mon Valley or similar postindustrial and working-class communities

• Creating visual content, including photography and short-form video

• Participating in audience-friendly social media storytelling

• Working with data, documents and other tools to produce maps, charts and other visual elements

The salary range for this position is $50,000-$60,000, depending on experience.

Pittsburgh’s Public Source has an office in Pittsburgh and operates in a hybrid work environment. Regular travel throughout the coverage area is required. A valid driver’s license and reliable transportation will be needed for this role.

Public Source offers paid time off, a 401(k) match, a health plan, competitive paid parental leave and professional development opportunities. Public Source is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Candidates from traditionally underrepresented communities are strongly encouraged to apply, including but not limited to people of color, people who are LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities. To learn more about what it’s like to work with Public Source, please visit this page.

Are you interested? Applicants should submit the information and materials requested in this form by April 3. We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis.

Apply

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