Court and Crime Reporter

The Oxford Mail has a rare vacancy for one of the best jobs in the news on one of the UK’s best patches. We are currently on the lookout for an exceptional journalist to take on the highly-coveted position of Court and Crime Reporter.

Our award-winning reporter – previously named Newsquest Journalist of the Year – is off to the nationals and we’re looking for the perfect candidate to make the role their own. 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.

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 sort of 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
A versatile, fresh and energetic 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
Knowledge of SEO and its importance to digital journalism
Excellent social media skills and the ability to spot stories and trending topics
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 own diary
Collaborative skills to pool ideas with the wider digital reporting team and take on board suggestion

What we offer:

Oxford is a brilliant place to live and work. And it’s surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in England. Newsquest Media Group is one of the UK's largest newspaper and website publishers. As well as a competitive salary, 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