Reporter: Johnson County Government

The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is seeking reporter to focus on local government/public affairs reporting in its Iowa City office. This position blends a mix of city and county government reporting in a rapidly growing area of the state which is also home to the University of Iowa. Our ideal candidate is someone who is enterprise-reporting focused, but able to juggle daily reporting on a regular basis.

This beat is a mix of local governments, regional business and interesting people who call Johnson County home. You’ll occasionally help with coverage of schools, demographic trends and business/development in the region.

Our ideal reporter has demonstrated experience with public records requests and data-driven reporting and is passionate about sorting through an array of ideas to find the stories that must be told. You’ll need to be an expert at scanning agendas and finding the not-so-obvious storylines and prioritizing your time. You’ll be able to put ongoing local complex topics into context, focus on the why it happens and what's important about it. You’ll regularly find ways to explain the impacts of decisions through the eyes of those impacted rather than simply reporting the actions of elected officials.

The ideal candidate will have a digital mindset and will use analytics to help find ways to extend the reach of their work. You’ll be passionate about “explainer” style reporting and alternative story forms. You’ll be comfortable working in a competitive news environment.

The ideal candidate will have familiarity with audio and video, the utilization of social media in reporting and should have basic self-editing abilities. You should also be able to utilize data, embrace interactive visualizations and be comfortable with curating content. You’ll also be willing to help host panel conversations as in-person or virtual events, too.

This candidate should have previous reporting experience and be comfortable in an environment where you can grow, but you’ll be expected to collaborate and help others grow, too.

Qualifications & Requirements

Ideal candidate will be a flexible, self-motivated, inquisitive, creative go-getter and problem-solver who works well on a team and has excellent communication and team-building skills.
Candidate must be highly organized, a confident decision-maker and committed to ongoing improvement and coaching.
Juggling multiple deadlines simultaneously should be expected, and you should be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.
An undergraduate degree in journalism, communications, English or a related course of study is required.
Candidate must have strong ability to write and report well and distill subjects into understandable and accessible items.
Ideal candidate will possess basic video and photography skills and always has a desire to learn new things. Approximately 2 to 5 years of experience in a multimedia newsroom is required.