Breaking News/General Assignment Reporter

The Bradenton Herald seeks an aggressive breaking news and general assignment reporter to join its award-winning newsroom in Manatee County, one of America’s fastest-growing communities on the Florida coast.

Join the newsroom that exposed the Piney Point environmental disaster and a local vaccine rollout controversy that involved the Florida governor. At the Bradenton Herald, we put a premium on breaking stories first as well as investing in hard-nosed, accountability journalism that our audience can’t get anywhere else.

Our journalism focuses on our local communities, and in that role we have the ability to spotlight problems, highlight solutions and truly make a difference -- all the reasons you got into journalism. And we are part of McClatchy, a digitally driven company focused on innovation, with newsrooms in 30 communities in the United States.

Located between Sarasota, St. Pete and Tampa, the Bradenton area is one of the fastest growing in the country. With beautiful island beaches and outdoor activities, Manatee County boasts a lively downtown and the second-fastest growing planned community in the U.S.

This is a fast-paced reporting position with a mix of breaking news and enterprise on a variety of topics that can be adapted to the candidates’ strengths. Experience in education reporting and/or social media is a plus.

The ability to interview sources in English and Spanish is a plus. The position could include early morning, evening and/or weekend hours.

The successful candidate should meet many, though not necessarily all, of the following requirements:

College degree or equivalent work experience
2 years of reporting experience.
Must have reliable transportation. Must have valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance required.
Strong writing skills, excellent news judgment and a demonstrated ability to “see the story” that is going to matter to readers.
Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism.
Ability to build source networks and bring a constant flow of story ideas.
Ability to work collaboratively to aggressively tackle stories.
Comfort with a job that will be demanding, fast-paced and constantly evolving.

What you'll bring:

Focus on stories that build readership
Think about audience first and always, with a focus on service and utility journalism
Master engaging and innovative storytelling that goes beyond the written word to include interactive and multimedia elements
Demonstrate speed, competitiveness and SEO savvy through aggregating and storytelling tools
Work well in a team environment.

What we’ll bring:

As a journalist at McClatchy, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. McClatchy strives to be an employer of choice, and our benefits package is made with this goal in mind. With a focus on health, well-being, wealth and daily life, our package options include healthcare coverage for employees and their families, financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses, multiple no-cost wellness resources and even coverage for four-legged friends.