The Lafayette Daily Advertiser/theadvertiser.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is looking for a hard-working and energetic sports reporter to cover high school sports in the Lafayette, Louisiana, area.
Covering the south Louisiana area since 1865, The Daily Advertiser seeks to keep readers entertained and informed on politics, culture and sports while also focusing on what makes the local communities such exciting places in which to live.
We’re not looking for run-of-the mill game coverage for high school coverage. The ideal reporter is a strong multitasker with a knack for telling compelling human-interest stories and identifying interesting trends for enterprise stories and other articles that go beyond what happened on the court or field. We need a reporter who can hunt down those stories and continue our traditions of naming All-Acadiana teams.
High school football and recruiting are the focus for this job in the fall, and it’s essential to find interesting stories to make this beat a success. The best candidate will also have the knowledge to write about other sports such as basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball and soccer. We want someone who is ambitious, thinks big and has a passion for storytelling and breaking news before our competitors.
Lafayette is located in the southern central part of Louisiana, at the intersection of Highways 10 and 49. It is the fourth largest city in Louisiana and is the only major city in Louisiana that has grown in population since the year 2000. Lafayette resides in an area called Acadiana, which is known as the Cajun Heartland, and is the unofficial Cajun Capitol of the south. Lafayette lies 15 miles west of the Atchafalaya Basin and 35 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico and is surrounded by bayous, swamps and marshes along with forests and prairies. The city got its name in 1844 when it was named after the French Marquis de Lafayette.
Lafayette has a strong tourism industry, attracted by the wonderful Cajun food of this region. It has more restaurants per capita of any city in the entire area. The city has a thriving arts community, consisting of theatre, visual arts, and especially music. Cajun music is a combination of bluegrass and French with a little European folk music thrown in. Almost every weekend, there is a music, dance or street festival and the city is known for its great Mardi Gras celebrations when Lafayette explodes with color and wild costumes.
Responsibilities:
- Continue to be the area’s leading voice in high school sports.
- Connect with the community through social media.
- Craft coverage based on historical success and adapt approach based on digital metrics and audience needs.
- Capture basic photos and video as needed.
- Promote personal brand, the brands of colleagues and the institutional brand.
- Provide great customer service, helping readers find answers and solutions.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience. We are open to recent college graduates if you have a few strong internships under your belt.
- Previous reporting experience is a plus; even better if you’ve covered all levels of sports, specifically high schools.
- Proficiency on social media platforms; including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Reddit.
- Energetic self-starter and a fast thinker who can spot stories that matter.
- Experience shooting and editing photos and video on an iPhone.
- Strong communication skills, news judgment and headline-writing ability.
- Ability to multitask and excel under intense deadline pressure.
- Ability to work collaboratively and efficiently.
- Strong writing, spelling and grammar skills; familiarity with AP style.
- This role requires a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.
- Employment is contingent on passing a pre-employment, post-offer drug screen and background check.
