Economic Development and State Government Reporter

Indianapolis Business Journal is looking for an aggressive, thoughtful and analytical reporter to cover economic development, politics and the Indiana Statehouse, a beat that includes the Legislature and the Governor’s Office as well as the state’s job-creation agency. This reporter will also co-author an award-winning weekly political newsletter called The Rundown.

IBJ is a locally owned news organization that focuses on coverage of and for the business community—but we interpret business broadly. In fact, we view our role as covering the intersection of business and politics and therefore dedicate several people to covering state and local government.

Our state government reporter will take the lead on IBJ’s economic development coverage, which means covering the state’s secretary of commerce and the quasi-public Indiana Economic Development Corp., with a focus on government incentives, talent and recruitment efforts and workforce development. We are increasingly looking at economic development as a statewide issue, even though our primary coverage area is central Indiana. And we are seeking a reporter who will write about the biggest economic issues facing Indiana with depth and finesse.

In addition, the state reporter will cover the legislative session each spring and political campaigns and elections in the fall as well as the state’s economy and tax structure. At the Statehouse, we look for stories of interest to the business community overall and to specific industries including technology, manufacturing, construction and real estate, utilities and more. We are also interested in legislation and state government efforts that tackle issues related to inclusion and social mobility.

IBJ has a newsroom of 18 reporters, editors and artists who cover technology, real estate, banking, manufacturing, philanthropy, health care, government and politics. We publish a weekly printed paper and produce significant daily coverage at IBJ.com that is distributed through more than a dozen email newsletters (two of them sent daily, and many others—including The Rundown—sent weekly). Our newsroom also includes three staffers from Inside INdiana Business, another brand of our parent company IBJ Media.

Job requirements
• Experience with both breaking news and enterprise.
• Ability to work independently and generate story ideas.
• Curiosity about politics, government and business issues.
• Experience promoting stories and reporting with social media.
• Fast, thorough writing.

IBJ offers a chance to work in an affordable capital city with a metro area population of more than 2 million people but in a smaller newsroom with plenty of opportunity to make a big impact. In Indianapolis, you will find professional sports, world class museums and performance venues, and neighborhoods filled with great restaurants, bike trails and parks.

Our offices are located on the city’s historic Monument Circle—the literal and figurative heart of Indianapolis, just blocks from stadiums, the Statehouse, the Indianapolis City Market and much more. Our commutes are short, our public transportation is expanding and our city and suburbs are thriving.

If you’re a reporter who can uncover compelling stories about politics, government and the economy, send a resume, cover letter and examples of breaking news stories and enterprise to Editor Lesley Weidenbener at lweidenbener@ibj.com and Managing Editor Greg Weaver at gweaver@ibj.com.

IBJ Media is an equal opportunity employer and our goal is to develop a diverse pool of candidates for this and all positions.