Breaking News Reporter

The Sydney Morning Herald is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the country, having recently celebrated 190 years in print. We have a rich history of courageous, quality and independent journalism. In 2023, we remain in a stronger position than ever with more than 9 million readers consuming our journalism in print and online each month, making the Herald Australia’s most widely-read masthead.

Our team is comprised of hundreds of Australia’s best journalists, photographers, editors, sub editors and designers. We are passionate about what we do and we are always looking for ways improve. We support each other as a team and we encourage diversity of opinion. We embrace the rich history that comes with working for the Herald whilst operating out of the most modern, advanced newsroom in the country.

Job Description

The SMH is hiring two talented writers! These positions will cover breaking news and/or writing a daily blog, working closely with digital editors and reporting to the News Director.

Day to day you will:

Prepare clear, accurate, balanced, well-written and well-researched stories in a timely manner that conform to style for publication across platforms.
Ensure all copy meets legal requirements.
Take ownership of stories/issues and follow up stories when appropriate.
Demonstrate excellent news judgment and knowledge of current affairs.
Ensure the highest standard of accuracy, ethics and editorial quality.
Meet agreed audience benchmarks and deadlines.
We are a seven-day newsroom so some weekends and public holidays will be required.
Ability to fill in for other areas of the newsroom as required.

Qualifications

In order to thrive in this position, strong journalistic experience is required with the ability to think fast, write fast but always be committed to accuracy.

What we would like to see on your resume:

Strong journalistic background.
Demonstrated previous experience in a major newsroom
Experience in breaking news and/or blog reporting
First rate news judgement.
Proven ability to quickly respond to breaking news and an ability to identify contacts for comment.
Ability to work collaboratively across The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and national teams
Excellent organisation and time management skills.