Culture & Lifestyle Reporter

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, make its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over.

We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone.
We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

Job purpose

The Independent is recruiting for two Culture & Lifestyle Reporters to play a central role in driving our coverage. You will be reporting on all aspects of the entertainment industries: from ITV's Love Island to the latest Netflix hit; from Marvel’s newest blockbuster to the critically acclaimed indie film everyone’s talking about; from the Booker Prize shortlist to the year’s biggest beach read; and from Stormzy’s forthcoming album to the Eurovision Song Contest. You will also write about lifestyle: everything from social trends to unusual British quirks; fashion to feminism. The successful candidate will understand digital media and how to write news in order to attract online audiences both on and off platform. They will be a genuine all-rounder with their finger on the pulse and an ability to generate eye-catching original ideas. You must have a firm grasp of good grammar and sound legal knowledge, who thrives under the pressure of working in a fast-paced news environment.

The team

The Culture & Lifestyle section is read by over 50 million people a month, and covers everything from high-profile interviews with A-list stars to irreverent deep dives into social trends. Our team has reporters in the UK, US and India.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

Quickly turn around pristine news and feature copy
Work closely and collaboratively with your colleagues, senior editors and department head

Skills

Write quickly and with flair
Find great, compelling stories
Ability to work reactively, as well as forward plan
Pitch original ideas

Our values – you will deliver across all our values

Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.

Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.

Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.

Benefits

Pension scheme (company matches up to 6% of contributions)
Life Assurance
Private healthcare scheme through Bupa
Learning and Development opportunities
EAP – Employee Assistance Programme
Free eye test vouchers
Cycle to work scheme
Season ticket loan
Once you have completed a full year of employment your annual leave will increase by 1 day to up to 30 days