Assistant Editor/Reporter

Job summary: We're seeking a journalist who values serving the community, covering stories ranging from city council meetings to wildfires, human interest features and the occasional weird news.

This job is a combination of editing, reporting and writing in the Switzerland of America, high in the San Juan Mountain communities of Ouray and Ridgway. The Ouray County Plaindealer is a small but mighty publication, which has a reputation for punching above its weight. We have been honored as the best newspaper in our class three out of the last four years, and we've been serving the community since 1877.

The ideal candidate will be a self-starter who is detail-oriented and possesses strong reporting and writing skills

You'll love it here if you're outdoorsy. Don't apply if you need malls, escalators or Trader Joe's.

Please apply if you would love doing meaningful work for a community that appreciates you. You're not the enemy of the people here.

We have an intelligent, engaged audience that supports local newspapers, even though someone is probably mad at us every week because we did our job.

For a county of 5,000 residents, there's a rich tapestry of stories. It's never boring.

If you come to work here, you'll work alongside veteran journalists who have been repeatedly recognized for public service reporting and investigative reporting. You'll also work with a corps member from Report for America – we've been a host newsroom since 2020 and will have a new reporter joining us soon.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Edit stories for publication in print and online.

Pursue breaking news stories as needed.

Report and write stories about local news happenings, including local government and the justice system, as assigned.

Consistently meet deadlines.

Ensure journalism standards are met, including accuracy and objectivity.

Adhere to the Society of Professional Journalists' code of ethics.

Develop a wide range of sources in the community.

Tell stories using reporting, writing, photos and social media.

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND WORK EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor's degree in journalism desired but not required. We're looking for 1-2 years of previous experience in journalism, preferably at a newspaper.

Photography skills are a plus

Experience with Adobe InDesign and Photoshop are a plus

Pay: $40,000-$45,000, depending on experience.

Benefits include subsidized health insurance, two weeks paid vacation, one week sick time, six paid holidays a year, and a profit-sharing retirement plan after 1 year of employment.

How to apply: Send a letter of interest, resume (including references) and your three best clips to mike@ouraynews.com.