Trending & General Assignment Reporter

The Des Moines Register /desmoinesregister.com , part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is seeking an aggressive, digitally savvy journalist to be our next trending/general assignment reporter, identifying, verifying and curating news of what Iowans are talking about. This job requires an understanding of social media platforms, audience metrics and SEO techniques; quick, tight, lively writing; and a competitive mindset determined to see one’s work at the top of our pageview charts each day. This reporter will chase news, sports, politics, business and entertainment stories, as well as enterprise, about topics trending online and in our area. It’s a high-volume beat, responsible for three to five short posts most weekdays. But doing the job well requires much more than curation. This reporter is expected to pitch a handful of high-audience-potential ideas each morning, add smart context, seek out appropriate multimedia and do original reporting to add value to a reader’s experience. The job also requires writing inviting headlines and social language to lure the biggest possible audience.