Court and Crime Reporter

The Reading Chronicle is on the lookout for an exceptional journalist to take on the highly-coveted position of Court and Crime Reporter covering the patch of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.

You will thrive under pressure, live and breathe news and aim to get your name on the front page and at the top of the homepage day in, and day out. Your stories will lead the news agenda locally and regularly make national headlines.

This role presents an exciting opportunity for a digitally savvy journalist. We want more than someone who sits in court – we are looking for a challenger of reporting restrictions and producer of exclusive investigations, backgrounders, and well-crafted news pieces around the big crime issues of the day, alongside the very best of what’s happening in our courtrooms.

The role, predominantly based in Reading, will cover court and crime across the region, with coverage feeding into our sister titles: Bucks Free Press, Slough and Windsor Observer and Bracknell News.

You will have the chance to manage your diary and lead the narrative around some of the biggest court and crime stories of the day.

Our nationwide network of court and crime reporters are some of the best-performing journalists in the Newsquest group. This is your chance to join that top tier. The right candidate will be delivering the fast, agile, and dynamic coverage that our readers expect and deserve.

You’ll be passionate about digital storytelling, with a desire to come up with new and innovative ways of telling those stories using a vast array of different skills, tools, and platforms.

Applicants must be fully NCTJ qualified – including 100wpm shorthand – and have experience covering the criminal courts.

Candidates must also hold a full, clean UK driving licence.

You’ll Also Have

Excellent knowledge of relevant media law
The confidence to challenge reporting restrictions where appropriate
A versatile writing style
Exceptional attention to detail
The ability to write – and think – quickly under pressure
An adaptable style to produce everything from live blogs and listicles to long reads and features
Skills with shooting and editing video as well as online tools and apps for creating images and audio
Bags of ideas for how stories can be presented in the best possible way for our audiences
Great people skills and the ability to get on with a wide range of people in the community
A high level of organisation and the ability to manage your diary
Collaborative skills to pool ideas with the wider digital reporting team and take on board suggestion

What We Offer

Reading is simply a brilliant place to live and work. You will be given the independence to manage your diary and the freedom to truly make this role your own, becoming an authoritative and leading voice on law and order for our readers. When you're not in court, you will have the option to work out of either of our friendly newsrooms in Reading and High Wycombe. Newsquest Media Group is one of the UK's largest newspaper and website publishers.

Qualifications

As well as a competitive salary between £25,000 to £27,000 depending on experience and qualifications, we also offer generous benefits including:

Contributory pension
Perks and discounts at various retail outlets
Opportunities for team building and training days
25 days' paid holiday + statutory bank holidays + your birthday day off.
Structured career progression, ongoing training, and personal performance reviews
Discount Vouchers
Discounted Gym membership
Cycle to Work scheme
Mental Health Support via Telus
Eye test vouchers plus £50 towards new glasses.
Annual Volunteer Charity Day