Culture Reporter, Religion
Chron is seeking a Culture Reporter to explore how religion shapes Houstonians’ social lives, community connections, political viewpoints, family traditions and relationships, values and customs. This journalist should be able to write news and feature stories on everything from megachurches and outspoken pastors, to donut shops that are go-to destinations after Sunday service. This is an exciting new beat requiring intellectual and cultural curiosity (could Joel Osteen thrive somewhere outside of Houston?), a deep understanding of Texas culture and the American South, a digital-first mindset for storytelling, and ability to shift between writing fast-paced daily news stories and well-reported, unexpected features. This role will work closely with our Deputy Managing Editor of Texas Culture and Culture Editor.
Your duties on the team:
Pitch, report and write high-quality news and feature stories that take an innovative approach to covering religion in cultural life in Houston
Idea generation: keep fresh ideas flowing to assure the site is fed with compelling content
Local/regional perspective: you know Texas well and understand what residents care about
Excellent reporting, writing and communication chops, particularly within news journalism
Facility with analytics tools and ability to unpack those metrics to spot areas of opportunity and audience growth
High metabolism for turning out must-read stories every day
Requirements
3+ years of relevant experience in writing and editing in publishing or digital media
Experience in, and understanding of, Texas
Top-notch writing and editing skills and ability to meet deadlines
Excellent news judgment and understanding of both media ethics and AP Style
Facility with content management systems, analytics tools like Google Trends, social media platforms, and other publishing tools
Familiarity with covering religion and/or culture
About the Houston Chronicle:
The Houston Chronicle serves Houston’s 2.3 million residents — as well as all of Texas — with content and marketing solutions across two of Houston’s largest websites, HoustonChronicle.com and Chron.com, along with our newspaper and magazine brands. The content and innovative business solutions we provide invite readers to join conversations about communities we’ve been helping prosper for more than 120 years.