The Lexington Herald-Leader, located in the heart of the Kentucky Bluegrass, is seeking a versatile, audience-focused Eastern Kentucky reporter who can break news, provide accountability journalism and tell great stories about topics of high interest in a large geographic area to the east of Lexington, including communities throughout Appalachian Kentucky. This reporter will generate audience-driven daily and longer-term stories to inform, explain and expose. Put simply, we want this enterprising reporter to find and tell the very best news, watchdog and feature stories in a large geographic area, from the environment and coal mining to education, poverty, local politics and the unique culture of the region. Past examples of great work from the region include investigations into the lack of safe, reliable drinking water in Martin County, and coverage of the economic decline of coal and the challenges that has posed for communities in the region. This reporter should be highly self-reliant and a self-starter and must be capable of being both a team player and working independently in a geographic area that is hours away from the main newsroom in Lexington. Must be able to spot, report and tell the best stories of broad interest within and outside the Eastern Kentucky region. This reporter should be able to demonstrate speed and competitiveness to reach readers first, leverage social media, SEO, aggregating and storytelling tools and techniques and cultivate varied sources for tips and leads. This reporter should work well as part of a team of journalists based in Lexington, Frankfort and Somerset, Ky. This position is a hybrid role, working from home and in the office. The reporter's city of residence is flexible, but must be located in Central or Eastern Kentucky.