Local Government/Development Reporter

The Centre Daily Times is seeking an enterprising, reader-focused reporter who will break news and provide deep coverage of local government and development issues that affect the families, students and taxpayers who live in our region.

We are looking for a local government/development reporter to carry on a strong tradition of accountability reporting from the municipalities that make up Centre County. This beat has exposed Sunshine Act violations, public safety concerns, allegations of misuse of public funds, all while breaking news about what’s coming to the area and how that affects residents.

Journalists at the Centre Daily Times have a strong team mentality. The ability to collaborate and communicate well with colleagues on a daily basis is essential, and you must have a passion for local news. We are part of McClatchy, a digitally driven company focused on innovation, with newsrooms in 30 communities in the United States.

We are located in Centre County, Pennsylvania, the home of Penn State University. It’s a unique area that features a college-town setting in State College, which is a bustling community with a rich arts and nightlife scene, surrounded by numerous other municipalities with small town charm and distinct offerings. We’re also only about three hours from Philadelphia and three hours from Pittsburgh.

In our local government/development reporter, we’re seeking a versatile and resourceful journalist. While attending local government meetings is expected, you won’t be relying on meeting coverage but instead digging into key issues to spotlight problems, highlight solutions and make a difference in our communities.

In this role, you will need to:

Focus on stories that build readership
Think about audience first and always, with a commitment to tactics that grow readership.
Develop connections with key sources we rely on for information, and expand that network to produce complete stories.
Demonstrate speed, competitiveness and SEO savvy through aggregating and storytelling tools
Develop engaging multimedia storytelling.
Work well in a team environment.

What you'll bring:
The successful candidate should meet many, though not necessarily all, of the following requirements:

College degree or equivalent work experience.
1-3 years of reporting experience (Minimum years of experience).
Must have reliable transportation. Must have valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance required (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works).
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.