Reporter I/II/Sr Reporter

MPR News is looking for an experienced data journalist to join our award-winning web team and strengthen our coverage. We are the only statewide network and known for our strong coverage of politics, health, the economy and life in Minnesota. As a data journalist you will bring demonstrated skills uncovering and reporting on data to tell stories that resonate with our audience.

You will work closely with MPR News' digital team. You should be curious, innovative and creative, and eager to dig into data and try new digital tools to make our coverage even more distinctive on all platforms. You will be expected to talk about your reporting on the radio and contribute to radio stories as well.

The job requires solid journalistic chops, a creative, collegial approach and a willingness to step back and thoughtfully assess the ways journalists use (or don't use) data and organized information in their stories, and how they might use it to better inform their storytelling. This job will be based in the MPR Newsroom. You will receive story edits/assignments from the digital desk and other editors. This role is a Reporter II or Senior Reporter level position. While you have an assigned shift, per the news cycle and staffing needs of a daily news organization, you may be assigned to work an early morning, night and/or weekend shift.

Location: St. Paul, MN

Minimum Compensation:
Reporter I: $28.65
Reporter II: $30.5288
Sr. Reporter: $32.22
Exact hourly rate for this SAG-AFTRA union position is determined by experience and education related to the role, organizational compensation structure, and internal equity.

Application Deadline: Open until filled

Position Responsibilities:

Use data to enhance and elevate our coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact
Write and report stories based on data analysis
Visualize data for our digital platforms.
Contribute to our radio coverage
Work closely with editors and show producers, as needed, on program and digital content
Regularly employ federal and state freedom of information laws to gather documents and other data
Record interviews for broadcast
Write scripts, edit and mix audio for feature stories and newscasts
Write stories for MPRNews.org
Uphold journalistic standards of accuracy and fairness
Fill in on daily news shifts and on weekends several times a year
Report on live radio broadcasts as assigned
Take images or create other visual content to support digital workflows and outputs as applicable
Collaborate with editors, digital producers, radio producers and reporting staff

Reporter II – Responsibilities above, plus:

Cultivates sources
Develops ideas/proposals for reports & programs
Delivers substantive reports quickly – quick turnaround on varied subjects on a deadline
Provides “live” reports and host two-ways

Sr Reporter – Responsibilities above, plus:

Guides coverage
Breaks stories
Performs public outreach as needed
Serves as lead on special projects
May be called upon to fill in as Editor and/or Host
Other duties as assigned

Required Education and Experience:

BA degree or equivalent work experience in journalism

AND

Reporter I Level: 2+ years reporting or similar experience

OR

Reporter II Level: 3+ years reporting or similar experience

OR

Sr. Reporter level: 5+ years reporting or similar experience, radio reporting and beat experience a must. Preferred experience in leading projects

Required Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:

Demonstrated data skills
Experience with content management systems
Experience doing data visualization
Demonstrated ability to write for radio, broadcast and/or print and meet daily deadlines
Intermediate to advanced-level HTML, CSS; Excel
Ability to collect and handle small to large datasets
Strong analytical skills
Demonstrated record of accomplishment in journalism
Proven ability to generate stories from public records
Digital writing and storytelling skills
Ability to undertake intermediate and longer-range projects
Ability to use interviews, documents and public records, internet tools and social media to gather information, report and tell stories
Demonstrated ability to tell complex stories in a focused and engaging way
Track record of covering a beat

Senior Reporter:

Experience leading and developing news coverage
Proven ability to break news

Preferred Skills and Experience:

Experience with photography, audio and video
Experiencing writing and producing radio stories
Fluent in AP Style
Data collection, analysis, visualization-related languages and tools such as SQL, R, D3, Javascript and Python
Advanced design or illustration skills for creating and visualizing flat or dynamic graphics
Knowledge of state and federal data practice and FOIA laws, open records and privacy lawsSkills in Adobe products, preferably Adobe Illustrator
Experience using social media to promote graphics/stories