Small Business Reporter

Home to WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Public Media is the largest local non-profit news organization in the country. WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times serve more than 2 million people weekly across broadcast, print, and digital platforms. As a mission-driven organization, we aspire to become the essential and most trusted news source that Chicago turns to each day for understanding the people, events, and ideas that shape our community.

WBEZ is home to local and national news programming as well as a growing portfolio of popular podcasts. WBEZ serves the community with fact-based, objective news and information, and its award-winning journalists ask tough questions, dig deep for answers and expose truths that spark change and foster understanding. WBEZ is supported by more than 86,000 members, hundreds of corporate sponsors and major donors. In 2022, WBEZ received more than 20 awards for its journalism, including two prestigious National Edward R. Murrow Awards.

Chicago Sun-Times is Chicago's oldest continuously published daily newspaper serving Chicago and is known for its hard-hitting investigative reporting, in-depth political coverage, timely behind-the-scenes sports analysis, and insightful entertainment and cultural coverage. Chicago Sun-Times is the winner of eight Pulitzer Prizes and countless other awards. In recent years, the Sun-Times has focused on a digital transformation to deliver its news and content to a growing digital audience. Most recently, the Sun-Times dropped the paywall on suntimes.com to expand access to its journalism, and shifted to a community-funded digital membership program supported by voluntary member donations.

Chicago Public Media believes independent journalism is essential to a well-functioning democracy and access to fact-based, objective news and information is a right of every citizen. We serve the public interest by creating diverse, compelling content that informs, inspires, and enriches. We connect diverse audiences and help them make a difference in the community, the region and the world. And, we employ 300+ staff who want to belong to an organization that inspires, supports, and challenges them to do their best work.

For more information, please see the Chicago Public Media Annual Report.

The Opportunity

The Sun-Times is looking for a business reporter whose key focus will be developing stories on Chicago-area small businesses and entrepreneurs. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of the outsized role small businesses play in the economy and have the ambition to cultivate sources through on-the-ground reporting. By joining the money team, the reporter will be expected to produce engaging stories that go beyond the traditional view of business news to explore how money intersects with the issues our audiences care most about, from housing to crime, politics, equity and more.

In addition to profiling small businesses, the business reporter will be responsible for writing stories about the latest trends and developments affecting the local business community from new zoning laws to labor issues and real estate development. The role requires a passion for storytelling, to compellingly tell stories, to demonstrate an ability to think critically and to drive audience engagement.

Joining the Chicago Sun-Times team as our next business reporter will provide you with a chance to be part of an iconic and trusted brand and help build the future of local news. This is a unique opportunity to help lead an influential local news outlet in an innovative, exciting market at a time when the Sun-Times has joined Chicago Public Media, become a nonprofit, and adopted a community-supported model without a paywall.

Responsibilities

Write compelling stories about the small business community and entrepreneurs, including coverage of issues that impact their bottom line such as rising interest rates and labor.
Cultivate sources to develop scoops and break news on events and policy that will affect the local business community.
Take a creative approach to storytelling, whether it's utilizing interactive graphics or video or any other technique or platform to connect with and help build our audience.
Stay abreast of key economic, business and financial news to regularly produce daily, short-term and long-term stories.
Help improve the Sun-Times' editorial excellence, workplace culture and impact.
Promote diversity, inclusion and equity.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications or a related field or commensurate experience.
At least three years of journalism experience, preferably covering business.
Excellent news judgment and strong writing skills under deadline.
Ability to juggle daily stories with long-term enterprise pieces.
Familiarity with SEC filings, business data and requesting public records.
A commitment to accuracy and journalistic integrity.
Desire to work collaboratively in a union environment.

Working at Chicago Public Media

At Chicago Public Media, we care deeply about our employees as we know attracting, developing, and growing talent is key to our success and enhancing our impact. Our culture is one where collaboration, ideas, and innovation are encouraged. We value colleagues who will enhance our culture by bringing new ideas, diverse experiences, and talents to our dynamic workplace.

Chicago Public Media's dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion is reflective across our brands, WBEZ 91.5 FM, Chicago Sun-Times, and Vocalo 91.1 FM, in our staff and in our work. We are fully focused on equality of opportunity and believe deeply in diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, experience, and all other fascinating characteristics that make us different.

At Chicago Public Media we believe dedication to a great workplace includes supporting our employees and their families. As a result, we provide a broad and generous benefits package for you at hire and in the years to come.

Our benefits include:

6 weeks fully paid family leave
High quality Medical, Dental, and Vision plans at an affordable cost
A 403(b)retirement plan with a company match
Generous paid time off, including starting with 3 weeks' vacation and 4 personal days.

The essential functions described above are not all-inclusive and may change periodically to meet the needs of Chicago Public Media (CPM). The information contained in this job description is not intended to create any contractual or other legal commitment. Chicago Public Media may change the content or format of this job at any time in its sole and exclusive discretion without notice.