The Clarion-Ledger/clarionledger.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is looking for a hard-working and energetic sports reporter to cover mostly high school sports in the great state of Mississippi.
Located in Jackson, the Clarion-Ledger is a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper and the largest media site in the state, providing statewide coverage of 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-state teams and picking “Dandy Dozens,” the top players in the state in various sports.
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. This means a lot of hard work meeting sources and talking with parents. We want someone who is ambitious, thinks big and has a passion for storytelling and breaking news before our competitors.
Responsibilities:
- Works toward becoming the state’s leading voice in high school sports.
- Connects with the community through social media.
- Chips in on college sports.
- Crafts coverage based on historical success and adapts approach based on digital metrics and audience needs.
- Captures basic photos and video as needed.
- Promotes personal brand, the brands of colleagues and the institutional brand.
- Provides great customer service, helping readers find answers and solutions.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s in Communications, Journalism or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 1-2 years’ reporting/newsroom experience preferred; even better if you’ve covered sports.
- Adept at taking photos and video and will file quickly across platforms: mobile, desktop and social media.
- Strong command of AP grammar and style.
- Strong copy-editing skills and the ability to produce content that is clean, accurate and “publication ready.”
- Passionate and enthusiastic about news and content that will work well with audiences on social platforms.
- Comfortable in fluid, fast-breaking, stressful situations.
- A desire to grow and develop a key beat in our newsrooms.
- Comfortable using social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to enhance reporting and promote stories.
- Understands reporting ethics and sourcing.
- Excels in a fast-paced news environment and understands the digital-first mission.
- Collaborates well with others and can work with a team on the biggest stories.
- Able to work occasional late nights or weekends as needed by the news cycle.
- If you are selected for a driving role, these positions require 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.
We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:
- Your resume – one to two pages.
- A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
- Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you’ve produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.
It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.
