Reporter - Trending Team

Gannett is seeking an ambitious, creative, fast-moving and self-starting reporter to work on a team of journalists who write the stories that start the conversation across the country each day.

The national trending team creates urgent, smart and innovative stories that reach readers on multiple platforms, illuminating and elevating the most important stories across the nation. We respond to the biggest breaking news moments, surging to support USA TODAY and more than 200 local news organizations as we bring reporting and writing resources to bear for communities nationwide. Our approach is driven by a depth of knowledge about readers -- metrics and analytics help us anticipate coverage opportunities that can reach millions of people.

Our reporters have strong news judgment and the highest journalism standards. We file accurate, concise and clean copy on tight deadlines and enjoy building on breaking news with smart quick-turn enterprise ideas.

This position is a remote role that can be based in any state except for Alaska and Hawaii.

Responsibilities:

Report and write news of the day across the U.S., not only on topics that are trending but by developing coverage that anticipates our audiences' interests on any given day, delivering that content on their preferred platforms.
Nationalize local coverage by focusing on the universal themes that appeal to our current and future readers.
Jump on urgent stories of national and regional importance, including natural disasters, mass shootings, etc.
Work with editors to evaluate what is working and what is not and develop ongoing plans to better satisfy audience needs.

What you’ll need to thrive in this role:

A nose for finding interesting stories that take readers beyond what’s trending to highlight intriguing subjects with sophisticated and succinct storytelling.
Ideas about innovative and creative ways to bring the biggest national stories to readers in fresh and relevant ways, no matter where they find our coverage.
The ability to work collaboratively with a nationwide team of reporters, editors, photographers and producers to tell meaningful stories that target specific audiences.
A clear and concise writing style that avoids cliches and explains jargon.

Requirements:

At least two years of experience working in a news organization.
Experience generating quick-turn news stories, thoughtful enterprise, and in-depth projects.
Excellent news judgment.
Familiarity with SEO best practices.
Top-notch writing and reporting skills.
Excellent communication skills.
Ability to work not only independently but also as a key contributor to team/network projects.
Strong understanding of audience analytics and how to use them to drive content decisions.
Employment is contingent on passing a post-offer, pre-employment background check.

Application Instructions

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

Your resume – one to two pages.
A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you’ve produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.

It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.