Education Reporter
The South Bend Tribune, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, seeks an education reporter to cover K-12 schools and higher education, including the University of Notre Dame.
This beat includes a diverse range of public and private school districts in the South Bend area, including two of the largest school corporations in Indiana. South Bend Community Schools is a diverse, urban district under a federal desegregation order. Penn-Harris-Madison Schools is a large, suburban district where culture wars topics like equity and diversity have sparked emotional battles among parents and officials.
A successful candidate for this position will balance daily stories, enterprise and investigative stories and longer-term projects. They will embrace various formats to effectively tell stories digitally and in print. They excel at source development and enjoy speaking with real people, including parents, teachers, and students, not only administrators.
Experience with public records requests, along with a desire to ask tough questions and provide the public transparency and accountability in their public officials, are critical.
Equity and inclusion are central to our reporting, and we need a reporter who shares the mission of including the vast array of viewpoints in our community, including a diversity of ages, genders, races, religions, creeds, and disability status.
The South Bend area is a vibrant and growing community less than two hours' drive from both Chicago and Indianapolis, and just a few minutes from Michigan.
Responsibilities:
*Become the community's leading voice in education reporting
*Provide thoughtful analysis of complex issues
*Write impactful and insightful stories, including enterprise and short-form news
*Other duties as assigned
Requirements:
*Bachelor's degree in journalism or relevant field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
*Strong communication skills, news judgment and writing ability
*Proficiency on social media platforms and experience engaging readers in that public space
*Energetic self-starter and critical thinker
*A watchdog mentality seeking to advocate for our community's most vulnerable members and hold the powerful accountable
*Ability to work under deadline pressure
*Ability to work collaboratively and efficiently with a team of journalists
*This position requires a valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and minimum liability insurance required by state law
*Employment is contingent on passing a pre-employment, post-offer drug screen and background check.
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. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:
Your updated current resume – one to two pages.
A cover letter explaining your interest and fit for the position.
Your portfolio/clips/links to a few samples of your work.
It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.