Newsperson (Utah State Government Reporter)

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world's population sees AP journalism every day.

The Associated Press seeks an enterprising reporter with a proven track record of developing sources and breaking stories to cover state government, politics, and general news as a newsperson in Salt Lake City. This is a staff position covered by AP’s agreement with the News Media Guild.

Responsibilities: Reporting to the Rockies Assistant News Director, this newsperson will seek to consistently break news and produce distinct, deeply reported enterprise about state government and politics in Utah, along with stories about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You will work closely with the leadership team in the Rockies – the assistant news director, chief correspondent, and visual news leader – and other journalists inside and outside the four-state region on breaking news, enterprise and accountability stories. When the state Legislature is in session, that is your focus. When it’s not, you will be asked to contribute to daily news coverage on any topic and to develop enterprise off the news.

You should be a self-starter who is comfortable with data sets and freedom of information requests, knows how to build a story from the local level and frame it for broader audiences, and can generate ideas that resonate in the U.S. and around the world. You are comfortable working in multiple media formats, from the field and from the desk, reporting on breaking news as well as beat-driven enterprise.

We’re looking for someone who will:

use strong communication skills to collaborate with the diverse team of journalists at the AP who operate in all formats: text, photo, video, audio, digital/social, interactive and graphics.
be skilled at using social media for breaking news and development of sources.
have a great news sense, with the ability to communicate and drive stories that people will want to share, like and talk about on social media and other platforms.
pursue innovative and inclusive coverage techniques while maintaining AP’s standards for integrity and objectivity.
work any shift, including at night and on weekends, or as coverage demands, as AP is a 24/7 operation.

Preferred Qualifications: This newsperson must have demonstrated excellence as a journalist, with a deep record of delivering exclusive and distinctive spot news and enterprise stories on a complex and challenging beat. Applicants must be able to explain complex stories in clear and compelling ways and do so swiftly and accurately on tight deadlines.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, such as at least two years of full-time experience at a daily newspaper, broadcast station, online or digital news outlet, or an AP bureau or regional desk.
Authorization to work in the U.S. will be mandatory.
Advanced-level professional competency in written and spoken English. Professional competency in Spanish is a plus.
Basic proficiency in using an iPhone for photos and video is required. Advanced proficiency is a plus.

We will consider strong candidates who do not meet every listed qualification. You may use a cover letter to describe the unique qualifications you would bring to this role.

This is a staff position covered by AP’s agreement with the News Media Guild.

Application deadline is 11:59pm EST on October 19, 2023.