Business and Development Correspondent

Lookout Local; Eugene (OR); On-site; USD 48,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical, dental, optical benefits

401(k) with matching

Stock options

Impact on local journalism

Collaborative work environment

Job summary

Lookout Eugene-Springfield is seeking a Business and Development Correspondent to cover the local economy, taxes, and jobs, with a statewide perspective. The role emphasizes fair, non-partisan reporting and collaboration across a growing Lookout network in a fast-paced digital publishing environment.

The ideal candidate will build a broad network of sources, engage with community members, and tell stories that illuminate local business trends while reflecting statewide factors impacting Lane

Qualifications

• Proven, relevant experience as a journalist with timely and impactful reporting.
• Strong narrative storytelling skills with a commitment to fair, accurate, and non-partisan journalism.
• Proficiency with digital publishing tools and a keen interest in emerging technologies.
• Deep understanding of beat reporting and the ability to develop and maintain a network of sources.
• Demonstrated ability to serve readers’ news and information needs.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Passion for Lookout Eugene-Springfield’s mission and local community.

Responsibilities

• Report and tell timely, connected stories on assigned beats.
• Collaborate with editors on breaking news and in-depth pieces.
• Research, verify facts, and cross-check information for reliability.
• Write clearly in multiple styles, from breaking news to features.
• Engage readers and invite community participation.
• Publish at the cadence of digital publishing and respond to breaking news.
• Utilize social media and on-camera video to enhance storytelling.
• Build and maintain a broad network of sources.
• Represent Lookout Eugene-Springfield at community events.

Skills

Journalism experience

Storytelling

Digital publishing

Source network

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Fast-paced

Mission alignment

Tools

Social media platforms

On-camera video

Job description

About this position

About Lookout Local

Lookout Eugene-Springfield’s mission is to provide fair, accurate, and non-partisan news, focusing on the role of business in shaping a community through taxes and jobs. We are committed to reviving local journalism and engaging with the community to reflect their needs and interests. Lookout Eugene-Springfield now approaches its first anniversary, having already achieved great traction -- audience, membership, advertising, and community trust -- It is part of Lookout Local, a now fast-growing, next-generation West Coast-based local news network. Lookout Santa Cruz won the 2024 Pulitzer for Breaking News, and Lookout's fiercely mission-driven, business-driven model is winning wide national notice. Check out our network page: https://lookout.co/network.

Our workplaces are in-person, in-community, collaborative and collegial. We are building a diverse, highly skilled and mission-driven group of journalists, community builders and business people intent on maintaining our culture of learning, growth and community service.

About the role

Lookout Eugene-Springfield’s Business and Development Correspondent will approach the beat with a broad lens, focusing on issues and trends as much as what is opening and closing. The ideal candidate understands the role of business in shaping a community through taxes and jobs as well as the cost of doing business in Lane County and greater Oregon.

An interest in how the business culture in the state impacts the local economy and the desire to tell these larger stories is important. While this is an inherently local beat, we understand that statewide factors impact the local economy and telling this story is important. This correspondent has the potential to impact the local and statewide business culture with their coverage.

Finally, the heart of all stories are people, those who are impacted by decisions being made and this correspondent will seek out voices of real people as the foundation for our coverage.

The ideal candidates will provide fair, accurate, and non-partisan news, work at the cadence of digital publishing, and be enthusiastic about the responsible use of newer technologies. We’re looking for journalists who see the power of revived local journalism and have the skills and enthusiasm to be part of a new team doing it.

Responsibilities

• Reporting and Storytelling:
• Provide timely, useful, and connect-the-dots reporting on assigned beats.
• Create narrative stories that give readers a fair, accurate, and non-partisan sense of the news that matters most to them.
• Collaborate with colleagues on breaking news and in-depth pieces.
• Conduct thorough research and investigations, verify facts and cross-check information to ensure reliability.
• Write clear, concise, and compelling stories in various styles, from breaking news to in-depth features.
• Look for ways to help readers participate in their communities and to be of service to them.
• Work at the cadence of digital publishing, ensuring timely updates and responsiveness to breaking news.
• Comfortable with social media platforms and integrating them into how we tell stories. This includes on-camera video work.
• Collaboration and Teamwork:
• Collaborate with fellow journalists and editors to share insights, story ideas, resources, and expertise.
• Community Engagement:
• Engage with the community to understand their needs and interests, reflecting this in reporting.
• Build and maintain a network of sources and contacts. Develop relationships with key community members, officials, and experts.
• Enthusiastically represent Lookout Eugene-Springfield at community events and forums.

Qualifications

• Proven, relevant experience as a journalist with a track record of timely and impactful reporting.
• Strong narrative storytelling skills with a commitment to fair, accurate, and non-partisan journalism.
• Proficiency with digital publishing tools and a keen interest in emerging technologies.
• Deep understanding of beat reporting and the ability to develop and maintain a network of sources.
• Demonstrated ability to serve readers’ news and information needs.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Passion for Lookout Eugene-Springfield’s mission and a deep understanding of the local community.

About Lookout Eugene-Springfield

In one year, Lookout Eugene-Springfield has become the largest local newsroom in Lane County and is the destination for local news and information for this community. Known for journalism that goes beyond the superficial, Lookout staff always put the community at the center of our coverage.

Lookout is a full-time, in-person newsroom with an office located in downtown Eugene.

If you believe local journalism is built through relationships and visibility in the community, if you are curious, approachable, creative and eager to experiment with new storytelling formats while maintaining strong journalism standards, you could be the right fit for Lookout.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary and performance-based incentives.
• Full-time benefits include highly competitive medical, dental, and optical benefits, and 401(k) with matching.
• Stock options in our growing company
• An opportunity to make a significant impact on and contribute to the revival of local journalism.
• A collaborative and mission-driven work environment.