Senior Reporter

NEWSQUEST MEDIA GROUP; Salisbury; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional media company in Salisbury seeks a motivated Senior Reporter to cover local stories and engage with the community. The ideal candidate will have an NCTJ-preliminary diploma and experience in storytelling across multiple platforms. Responsibilities include reporting on local events, conducting interviews, and utilizing social media for audience reach. The role requires a valid driving licence, flexibility to work weekends, and offers benefits like additional holidays and discounts. Apply by February 1, 2026.

Benefits

25 days holiday + bank holidays + birthday off

Holiday buy scheme

Structured career progression and ongoing training

Pension plan and mental health support

Gym membership

Cycle to Work scheme

Eye care vouchers (£50 towards glasses)

Retail discounts

Team building days

Annual volunteer charity day

Qualifications

• Must live on the patch and work from the Salisbury office.
• Driving licence and access to a car are required.
• Willingness to work weekends and early/late shifts on a rota basis.

Responsibilities

• Cover local businesses, community events, crime, and politics.
• Conduct interviews with sources.
• File clean, accurate, and engaging copy.

Skills

Knowledge of local businesses, community events, crime, human-interest stories, court cases and local politics

Ability to report across the website, social media and print

Strong storytelling and SEO abilities

Confident using AI

Comfortable creating videos and photographs

Education

NCTJ-preliminary diploma (level 5), including 100wpm shorthand

Tools

Social media

SEO tools

Job description

Senior Reporter

Application Deadline: 1 February 2026

Department: Editorial

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Salisbury

Reporting To: Kimberley Barber

We are looking for a new reporter to join our Salisbury newsroom. Reporting for the Salisbury Journal, you will primarily be covering the city of Salisbury, its surrounding villages and part of the New Forest. The role requires someone who is willing to get out and about as much as possible, is able to make good contacts and who wants to establish themselves at the heart of the community. It will be essential that you live on patch and work from our Salisbury office. You will be reporting on everything from local businesses and community events to crime, human-interest stories, court cases, and local politics, and much more in between.

The successful candidate will be part of a team that also produces other weekly titles, the Hampshire Chronicle, Basingstoke Gazette, Romsey Advertiser and Andover Advertiser. We believe in being in the community in person as much as possible and our reporters attend news events throughout the day, reporting for our website, social media feeds and print pages. Our office is in the city centre and is a great base to work from.

We will consider reporters looking for their first newsroom role but would also welcome senior journalists to apply. It is vital to have an NCTJ-preliminary diploma (level 5), including 100 words per minute shorthand. Applications without this qualification will not be considered. Our reporting roles involve weekend work and occasional early and late shifts on a rota basis.

Our reporters are expected to meet audience goals, which means learning how to find a good story, telling it across different platforms, and getting it in front of more people through social media and SEO. We also pay a quarterly monetary bonus for meeting and exceeding these targets. Plus the job comes with a whole host of other staff benefits, such as a paid day off for your birthday, an annual volunteering day and discounts at major retailers, plus more.

Applications for this job will close on Sunday, February 1 at 5pm. However, we may appoint earlier if the right candidate is found. Please note that candidates must have a driving licence and access to a car.

Key Responsibilities

• Willing to get out and about as much as possible
• Able to make good contacts
• Confident using AI
• Understands social media
• Comfortable creating videos and photographs
• Able to conduct interviews with sources
• Able to file clean, accurate and engaging copy

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Knowledge of local businesses, community events, crime, human-interest stories, court cases and local politics
• Ability to report across the website, social media and print
• Ability to meet audience goals through strong storytelling and SEO
• Must live on the patch and work from the Salisbury office
• NCTJ-preliminary diploma (level 5), including 100wpm shorthand
• Driving licence and access to a car
• Willingness to work weekends and early/late shifts on a rota basis

Benefits

• 25 days holiday + bank holidays + your birthday off
• Holiday buy scheme for extra flexibility
• Structured career progression & ongoing training
• Pension plan & mental health support
• Perks & discounts including:
  • Gym membership
  • Cycle to Work scheme
  • Eye care vouchers (£50 towards glasses)
  • Retail discounts
• Team building days & annual volunteer charity day

About Newsquest Media Group
We are a media company with a difference. We are committed to bringing a voice to your region by investing in a passionate team of journalists who proudly serve their communities by sharing authoritative news that readers trust. Our sales teams provide local businesses with highly responsive digital advertising and marketing solutions.
We are one of the largest regional news publishers in the UK and have a portfolio of more than 250+ local news brands and magazines online and in print. With an online audience of 41 million users a month and 7 million readers a week in print, our content is read by a substantial proportion of the UK population.
In addition to our local news brands, we own several digital pure play and specialist media businesses such as s1jobs and s1homes, Exchange & Mart, and Newsquest Specialist Media. We also own LOCALiQ, an award-winning digital marketing agency that specialises in driving more leads, increasing online growth and generating return on marketing investment on behalf of thousands of UK SMBs.