Education Reporter

Colorado Public Radio; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 81,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Paid family medical leave

Vision and dental

Retirement plan match

Flexible schedules

Engagement and development programs

Casual atmosphere

Job summary

Colorado Public Radio in Denver seeks an Education Reporter to cover Colorado's education landscape from early childhood through higher education. You will report for radio and digital platforms, producing daily newscasts and longer features, while tracking policy and legislation at the Statehouse with a focus on diverse communities.

The role requires in-person presence in the Denver metro area with a hybrid schedule (3 days in the office weekly: Tue–Thu).

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years beat reporting with diverse sources.
• Knowledge of Colorado education landscape and public policy processes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced digital environment.
• Experience with audio reporting and editing.
• Proven track record earning trust in underserved communities.
• Valid driver's license and reliable transportation.

Responsibilities

• Report and publish stories for radio and digital platforms.
• Produce daily newscast spots and longer form features.
• Track policies, funding decisions and legislation at the Statehouse.
• Report on communities affected by education policy with inclusive sourcing.
• Develop enterprise reporting across Colorado's diverse regions.

Skills

Beat reporting

Audio reporting/editing

Source development

Diversity sourcing

Community outreach

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Audio editing software

Job description

Colorado Public Radio (CPR) is seeking an Education Reporter.

About the Position:

The Education Reporter reports and publishes stories for radio and digital platforms, covering Colorado's education landscape from early childhood through higher education and adult learning. You'll produce daily newscast spots and digital stories while also developing longer-term features and enterprise reporting. You'll track the policies, funding decisions, and legislation shaping education at the Statehouse while also reporting on the people and communities impacted by those decisions. Your coverage will reflect the breadth of Colorado, with a focus on bringing the experiences and perspectives of a range of communities and regions to our audience.

The new hire is expected to reside in the greater Denver metro area upon starting - this is not a remote position. However, a hybrid schedule is available that requires a minimum of 3 days in the office each week (Tues - Thurs).

About You:

You're a responsive, adaptable, and reliable reporter, driven by curiosity and a genuine interest in connecting with people and finding the human stories behind complex issues. You're comfortable reaching out to people you don't know, building relationships, and reporting in the field, with a commitment to inclusive sourcing and developing a diverse range of sources and perspectives. Strong organization and time management help you balance the pace of daily news with longer-term enterprise reporting, while flexibility allows you to quickly pivot as news develops. You're a creative and collaborative storyteller who enjoys working across digital and audio formats and with colleagues to strengthen your work. You're genuinely interested in how education policy takes shape and moves through the Statehouse, and energized by the opportunity to explain its impact on communities across Colorado.

Minimum Qualifications:

• A minimum of 3 years of beat reporting experience, including pitching stories, developing sources, covering daily and breaking news, and producing fair, accurate journalism that reflects varied human experience.
• Knowledge of school districts, school boards, colleges and universities, and the structures and processes that shape their work.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively, meet deadlines, switch between tasks as necessary, and work in a fast-paced, digital environment.
• Experience with audio reporting and editing.
• Demonstrated experience earning trust and reporting on issues impacting underserved communities.
• A valid driver's license and clean driving record is required as this role needs access to reliable transportation to respond with urgency to news events. Newsroom vehicles will sometimes be available for your use.

Education Equivalency:

• A fully relatable bachelor's or master's degree may replace some (not all) of the required years of experience needed to qualify for the position, but is not required for the role.

Even if you don't meet every qualification listed, we're interested in candidates who can bring unique skills, perspectives, and experiences to the role. At Colorado Public Radio, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, equitable and authentic workplace. If you're excited about this role, but your past experience doesn't perfectly align with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply as you may be the right candidate for this or other roles with us.

Our employees have access to:

• 100 percent employer paid individual health, life, and disability coverage
• an outstanding paid family medical leave policy plus paid holidays and a very generous sick, vacation, and personal time off plan
• voluntary offerings such as vision and dental
• a competitive retirement plan match with no waiting or vesting periods
• flexible schedules
• engagement and development opportunities
• a casual atmosphere

Position Information:

Position Type: Full-time

Hiring Range: Grade 17 - $64,821 - $80,916

Starting Pay: based on experience

At Colorado Public Radio we are committed to cultivating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workplace that helps us represent the voices of the communities within Colorado. We highly encourage candidates with unique contributions such as ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity, nation of origin, age, language, veteran status, color, religion, disability and sexual orientation to apply to our openings. CPR is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team. If you need reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know.