Spotlight - Rural Affairs Reporter
Rural Affairs Reporter
Summary:
We are seeking a passionate
reporter to provide vital reporting on the rural communities of north-central
Pennsylvania for Spotlight PA, an award-winning, independent, and nonpartisan
newsroom. The mission of Spotlight PA is simple: to hold powerful private
and public forces to account by producing nonpartisan journalism that gets results and serves the public good. Spotlight PA has the largest collaborative local journalism network of its kind in the
United States, with stories shared across more than 90 partner newsrooms,
allowing our vital investigative and public-service reporting to reach
Pennsylvanians in all corners. To combat the continuing loss of local news in
the state, Spotlight PA launched its first regional bureau in July 2022. This
reporter will be an integral part of the bureau, which is based in State
College and covers 14 counties in central and northern Pennsylvania.
What You’ll Do:
This reporter will be critical in telling the stories of the people who live in
our rural communities to a regional and statewide audience, including
policymakers. This reporter will focus on how policies enacted by the state
departments of Agriculture, Community and Economic Development, and Environmental Protection affect residents
of north-central Pennsylvania. They will also dig into grants and
programs meant to benefit rural communities to determine the true impact. They will be embedded in the region
and expected to spend time in the communities they are covering. This is
an enterprise beat, and the reporter will be expected to publish one story per week, as well as to uncover
and investigate issues that are otherwise getting little to no
attention. Those stories may at times be in collaboration with journalists from our many partner news organizations in the
region.
Who We’re Looking For:
Ideal candidates
will have clips that show an ability to report beyond daily news, build a diverse network of sources, and aggressively fight for and use public records. We want someone who can
persistently pitch stories and keep several projects of varying lengths cooking
at one time. The best candidates will bring big ideas and a sense of urgency to
work each day, and be eager to work with Spotlight PA’s team of like-minded
reporters.
Some other ideal traits, though not essential:
● Knowledge of Pennsylvania;
● Fluency in foreign languages, particularly Spanish;
● A comfort with requesting, scrutinizing, and using data in the reporting process;
This job is full-time and includes benefits. This reporter can be based anywhere in our north-central Pennsylvania coverage area. We can provide a moving stipend if the right candidate is moving to the state. Applicants should include a resume, cover letter, and links to journalism they feel best exemplifies what we’re seeking.
The Philadelphia Inquirer is committed to attracting a diverse group of interested people to join our team, so please err on the side of applying even if you’re unsure if you meet all the qualifications. We encourage anyone to apply who shares our passion for indispensable journalism and our drive to create a sustainable business model to support it.
As an equal opportunity employer, The Inquirer is building an inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone feels a sense of belonging. We especially encourage people from marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds to apply, including people of color, women, people from the LGBTQIA+ community, and people with disabilities.
Other details
- Pay Type Hourly
- Philadelphia, PA, USA