Local News Reporter
The Bay Area News Group -- publisher of the Mercury News and East Bay Times in the San Francisco Bay Area -- has an opening for a Local News Reporter. You will cover the communities of Berkeley and Richmond; like many cities in California, both are facing housing, transportation and many other issues as they look for new ways to rethink urban planning in impacted spaces. These communities have been at the center of recent political and social controversies and will continue to be a source of timely and compelling stories. We serve a savvy, sophisticated audience that includes millions of online readers and hundreds of thousands of people who read our printed newspapers. If you're a dedicated local news journalist eager to tell your readers what’s happening in the community around them, you may be the next reporter to join the Bay Area News Group and the East Bay Times!
What you will do:
Write sharp, clean copy that draws readers in, including nut graphs and online headlines
Develop and maintain sources within the Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Milpitas communities
Report directly from the field
Mine human sources, documents and data; including obtaining and using public records
Use a variety of digital tools and social media to report stories and share them
Juggle multiple stories of varying complexity, from quick news posts under intense deadline pressure to daily news stories and longer-term enterprise or features
Tap into the successes and challenges of local government, from town councils to school boards, and keep a thumb on the pulse of an engaged populace
Work together in real time, publishing words individually and in collaboration with colleagues
What you will bring:
2+ years of reporting experience, preferably including at least some coverage of politics and government, breaking news, business and the environment
Excellent news judgment, strong writing skills under deadline pressure and a drive to compete
Strong grammatical skills and a working knowledge of the Associated Press stylebook
Ability to jump from one hot story to the next in an intensely competitive news environment, and the initiative and time-management skills to dig deep when impactful enterprise opportunities emerge
Ability to work both alone and collaboratively with other reporters and your editor
In our diverse region, facility with multiple languages is a plus
4-year college degree (journalism or related fields)
This position reports to our Oakland office, with requirements to work regularly in the Berkeley and Richmond areas
Must be located in the Berkeley/Richmond area with weekly in office expectations in Oakland.
The hourly wage is $26.40 - $31.50. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, time in role, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, MediaNews Group offers a comprehensive benefits package, and 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility).