Public Service Reporter

The Press & Sun-Bulletin/pressconnects.com in Binghamton, NY, seeks an energetic and thoughtful reporter who's eager to explore a growing community, build relationships and empower residents as they navigate local life.

This reporter will identify and analyze the forces shaping the city of Binghamton and surrounding Broome County towns and villages and focus on how local governmental decisions, especially those coming from city, county and school districts, impact the lives of area residents. Stories will frequently be written as "news you can use," outlining to readers why and how these decisions and conversations shape their lives and the impact it will have on their family, jobs and neighborhoods. Frequently, the reporter will be able to identify the most important topics coming from our communities, as well as the popular talking points in town, and write stories answering the essential questions readers have about the topics. Stories could range from how the city's new code enforcement laws might change the neighborhood, to how local students can take advantage of student loan forgiveness, or how to navigate the most recent changes at the county airport.

This reporter will pursue some news du jour from local government and school entities. When a decision or trend is truly significant in terms of public impact, this reporter will seek angles answering "Who?"," How?" and "Why?"

Instead of stories that focus on inner-government workings, this journalist will provide people-centered, community-centered reporting. Success comes through unique and distinctive reporting or helpful FAQ stories that answer readers' questions and help them with actionable insight so they can live smarter and make better choices.

Data skills are considered a key element of this role and the reporter should feel comfortable scanning and sorting an Excel spreadsheet or filing FOIA requests.

This role requires a keen sense of meeting our current and future audience where they're at - building connections through social media platforms, at in-person community events or school board meetings. With robust sourcing, this reporter will identify problems and steer readers toward solutions, while also ensuring public transparency and accountability.

The best candidate can pivot quickly between breaking stories, quick-turn and long-range enterprise, and will deliver strong content through a variety of storytelling forms, including visuals, lists, explainers and social media.

The journalist will also be involved in general breaking news as needed, including crime and public safety reporting.

This reporter works with other journalists in the state to plan and deliver content for readers most likely to find our work on mobile devices and through social media shares or Google searches.

Based in Binghamton, the reporter will focus on news in Broome County and several surrounding areas, as well as assisting with our USA TODAY Network news partners.

An ideal candidate is someone capable of quickly establishing their voice and building a loyal following on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

• Strong writing skills and a command of grammar and style.
• Experience with social media, including Instagram Stories, as a tool to build audience and as a source for beat development.
• Knowledge of data-based reporting and use of spreadsheets such as Excel.
• Experience with and interest in multimedia, including video and podcasting.
• A self-starter who owns the beat yet works collaboratively with others locally and regionally to meet common goals.
• A journalist committed to values of fairness, diversity, inclusion and professionalism.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• At least two years of applicable experience as a reporter/writer.
• Proven experience with content management systems and social media channels.
• Good time management and organizational skills.
• Must live in the Reporting area but will be working remotely.

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don't limit your upload to a resume; show us what you've done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

• Your resume - one to two pages
• A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job
• Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you've written, produced, or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.

It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format.Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.

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The hourly rate for this role will range between $15.90 and $29.30. Variable compensation is not reflected in these figures and based on the role, may be applicable. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, location, and union representation, if applicable.