Reporter/Sports Content
The Asbury Park Press, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is seeking an energetic reporter who will be passionate about boosting our local prep sports coverage, one of our highest reader-interest topics. The successful candidate will also cover an array of sports, news and other topics, and have an interest in developing data skills (to track spending by a college athletics department, for example) and having the range to eventually support our coverage of Big Ten and pro sports.
This reporter will join a team committed to serving an audience hungry for unique sports content that will drive readers to our site and lead to subscription sales. The reporter will break news stories, create compelling in-depth analyses for our current and potential subscribers, cover live sporting events and produce enterprise features and innovative projects that illustrate the power of storytelling. This reporter will have a sound presence on social media, particularly X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram, to report the news, share viewpoints and promote content.
Responsibilities
Primary initial focus will be local sports, including high school sports, and working toward becoming the community’s leading voice in this area of expertise. The reporter will cover other sports and news depending on needs.
Be a curious, assertive and self-starting journalist who jumps to report on breaking news and trending topics with urgency and can find unique angles for content.
Be or become deeply sourced, from athletic directors to coaches, athletes to parents. Give particular attention to developing relationships with these sources in underserved areas to ensure high school sports coverage in a diverse, inclusive and equitable manner.
Collaborate with multimedia team to provide all appropriate elements for stories. Capture basic photos and video as needed.
Be adept at using social media, specifically Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, to generate interest in and promote new content.
Optimize stories for target audience groups using SEO and metrics information.
Requirements
Bachelor's in Communications, Journalism or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Strong planning and organizational skills, and ability to coordinate with staff members across all departments.
Proficiency on social media platforms; including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Sound news judgment and a flair for effective headline writing.
Ability to multitask and excel under deadline pressure.
Strong writing, spelling and grammar skills; familiarity with AP style.
To Do So, Put Together a Single Document File That Includes The Following, In This Order
We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done.
Your resume – one to two pages.
A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
Links to 3-6 online samples of your work.
Show us what you’ve produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.