Government Reporter

The Daily News-Record is seeking a focused and experienced Rockingham County Beat Reporter to join its award-winning team in Harrisonburg, Va.

The reporter will produce 3 - 4 news stories daily for print and online publication from short briefs to in-depth pieces.

The beat reporter will keep a constant eye on the meeting agendas of Rockingham County’s seven incorporated towns and covering the news in each of these towns. The county reporter will follow elected officials of Virginia’s Sixth Congressional District and will write about local impacts of the state and national legislation shaping agriculture in addition to features.

The candidate will push through walls for news and answers to questions, empower sources to speak “on the record,” dig through news archives, government plans and legal documents for background. The candidate will juggle important coverage of hard-hitting stories in business and technology, housing, local government and healthcare; across different story lengths and formats.

The right candidate will be a passionate journalist looking to launch and build a career in local reporting based on global issues through our newsroom in historic downtown Harrisonburg and the Shenandoah Valley.

Responsibilities

Produce four bylines per workday.

Provide night-of coverage of county board of supervisors' meetings and selected town meetings and elections.

Prioritize assigned stories, generate interesting leads. Promptly cover breaking news events while working on long-form projects.

Provide other written copy including calendar events, briefs of press releases and special section content as assigned.

Prepare story pitches for meetings, keep assignments organized, turn in stories on deadlines.

Schedule interviews. Communicate schedules with editors and coworkers.

Maintain a social media presence.

Work a rotating Saturday shift. (1x monthly)

Coordinate photography and make photography assignments for stories. The ability to take compelling photos and create multimedia content is a plus.

Make assigned revisions to stories, write corrections, accept feedback from an editor.

Qualifications // Skills

Must have strong command of AP Style and be willing to reference AP style guidelines.

Must have copyediting skills and experience.

Must have government reporting experience.

A degree in journalism or a related field is required.

Must possess a valid Virginia driver’s license

Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Salary and Hours

This is a full-time position. Expected work hours are set at 40 hours with overtime only if approved. Wage based on qualifications. Candidate is required to work evenings when needed and will work one Saturday shift each month. This position will report to the news editor.

Inclusion in Virginia Press Awards contest and competitive benefits.

How to Apply

If the thought of tackling multiple, complex issues with an investigative eye sounds like a dream job, apply by emailing a resume, cover letter addressed to Managing Editor Jillian Lynch and three news clips, or writing samples, to jobs@dnronline.com. Applications without samples will not be considered.