Breaking News Reporter
The Press Democrat of Santa Rosa, California, has a proud tradition of aggressively covering breaking news. In fact, we were the winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting for our coverage of 2017 wildfires. It underscores the fact we swarm news as it happens. We are expanding our Breaking News Team and are seeking an experienced, fire-in-the-belly and versatile BREAKING NEWS REPORTER to lead our morning newsgathering efforts in Sonoma County and across our swath of Northern California.
We are a financially strong, locally owned news organization with zero debt. We value original ideas, aggressive reporting, authoritative writing and watchdog coverage that leads to change. Any member of our reporting team must know how to juggle daily stories, online posts, social media interaction and long-term enterprise and investigative projects. The ideal candidate will have strong multimedia skills, including the use of a smartphone to produce photos and video, and must be adept in use of social media for news gathering and audience engagement.
Data acquisition, analysis and presentation skills are a plus, as is fluency in Spanish.
This position is an important part of our Local News operation. The ideal reporter will be our lead AM breaking news journalist, covering a broad array of issues, with a heavy emphasis on breaking news. You also will get the opportunity to collaborate with other members of our Newsroom team on important community issues to holding local officials and government agencies accountable.
We're seeking someone who must:
- Be skilled at reporting, writing and growing a digital audience through social media.
- Be comfortable writing 6-8 breaking news stories per week, including public safety stories, features and occasional meeting coverage. You also must be able to generate story ideas.
- Be able to shoot production-quality photographs and videos.
- Have strong knowledge of AP style and be able to write and edit stories for grammar, spelling, content and libel.
- Excel in social media proficiency.
- Develop and maintain relationships with public figures and officials, especially in public safety circles.
About The Press Democrat: We are the flagship newspaper of Sonoma Media Investments. We’re privately owned by local investors who care deeply about the communities and readers we serve. We have no debt, no corporate involvement and a determination to be the best newspaper of our size in the country. We talk about “Big J” journalism, newsroom culture, being a diverse organization that reflects our community and helping our journalists do the best work in their careers. You’ll face no obstacles to pursue and produce meaningful journalism that fairly and fearlessly tackles key issues in California’s Wine Country. Come here and you’ll be expected to deliver top-notch, sophisticated work. We promise it will resonate with our readers.
About your growth: We’ll provide coaching and feedback, with a commitment to help you do the best work of your career. A new executive editor arrived last year and shared his commitment to agenda-setting journalism. Here’s his vision about where we’re headed and what you can expect: https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/opinion/green-heres-what-you-can-expect-from-me/
About Northern California: Sonoma County is a West Coast treasure. Here, an hour north of San Francisco, vineyards give way to redwood forests and a scenic Pacific Ocean coastline. The region, home to 650,000 people, is an international destination for tourists and produces some of the best wine, food and beer on the planet. Two colleges, along with thriving tech, farm and government sectors make this region of diverse communities an exciting and dynamic place to be a reporter.
To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume and five of your best reporting/writing samples to rick.green@pressdemocrat.com and click apply to submit an application on our company career page.
Sonoma Media Investment values the contribution of our employees and offers a competitive compensation plan. We also offer an array of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, 401K and Paid Time Off.
Any job offer is conditional upon satisfactorily completing a pre-employment background investigation.
COVID-19 Vaccine Requirement: SMI is committed to creating a safe work environment for all employees, independent contractors, vendors and guests. All employees are required to submit proof of a COVID-19 vaccine and be subject to booster shots as recommended by the CDC. Medical reasons for not being vaccinated and religious objections will be carefully reviewed to determine if an accommodation can be made.
Sonoma Media Investments is an Equal Opportunity Employer