Higher Education Reporter

The Dallas Morning News

Fort Worth, Arlington (TX, TX)

Hybrid

USD 75,000 - 90,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Paid maternity leave

Paid paternity leave

Disability insurance

Job summary

A leading news organization in Texas is seeking a Higher Education Reporter to cover issues impacting colleges and students. The ideal candidate should have at least two years of journalism experience and a degree in journalism or a related field. Responsibilities include breaking news and translating educational policies into actionable insights while collaborating in a diverse newsroom environment. This position offers a full-time role with competitive pay and benefits.

Qualifications

At least two years of experience in journalism.
Prior higher education reporting experience preferred.
Understanding how to serve digital and print audiences.

Responsibilities

Break news on Texas colleges and universities.
Develop a variety of sources across campuses.
Translate policies into real-life consequences.

Skills

Strong writing skills

Research and reporting

Understanding of Texas education

Fluency in Spanish

Education

Bachelor's degree in journalism or related field

Tools

Excel

Access

Job description

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Are you a reporter who digs beyond the breaking headlines of federal policy changes to examine what the rippling effects mean for students and colleges? One who loves open records requests and accountability reporting?

The Dallas Morning News seeks an ambitious journalist who can quickly break news on Texas colleges and universities, center student voices and dive beyond the heated politics of higher education to highlight what’s at stake for families. The higher education reporter will join the Education Lab to focus on the challenges and opportunities facing college and career pathways through accountability and solutions-based journalism.

The Education Lab is an award-winning, dynamic team that leads the state in providing context to breaking education news as well as identifying and writing revealing, smart enterprise stories. The Education Lab, which is supported by community funding from foundations and philanthropists, is committed to deepening the conversations around education through journalism and public engagement.

We’re seeking a reporter to cover higher education through a North Texas lens who has sharp news judgment and a keen ability to be selective about what’s most important; is skilled at developing a variety of sources across campuses; and can translate wonky policies into real-life consequences.

Job Requirements

We’re looking for candidates with at least two years of experience in journalism who have a bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field. We prefer candidates with prior higher education reporting or editing experience. Candidates must have an understanding of how best to serve our digital and print audiences. Education is a data-driven beat, so there’s a huge plus in knowing how to use Excel, Access or other data tools.

The Dallas Morning News believes a collaborative and inclusive work environment is essential to a thriving workplace for all. We are in search of a diverse group of candidates. It’s our mission to reach underserved communities, many of which include Spanish-speaking families. Fluency in Spanish is an advantage.

We are in our offices three days a week. We believe this is key to a thriving and inclusive workplace that develops and supports one another as we produce revelatory work with our community in mind daily.

Interested candidates should apply by May 18. An application should include a memo on how one would cover the beat.

Here’s our list of preferred skills and experience: (Please note this is not a checklist of requirements, but should be considered as a pool of preferred qualifications. If you can already do some of these things, great. If you're excited about figuring out how to do all of them, great! We'd love to hear from you either way.")

At least two years related experience in reporting and editing is ideal.
A bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field.
Demonstrated strong writing skills.
Prior higher education reporting or experience is preferred.
Familiarity with Texas education is a plus
Ability to identify, report and write revealing, smart stories

About The Dallas Morning News

The Dallas Morning News has a distinguished legacy of journalistic excellence, including nine Pulitzer Prizes and two consecutive Edward R. Murrow Awards. For 140 years, The News has maintained high standards while covering one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing markets in the country. North Texas leads the nation in population growth and consistently attracts global business headquarters. Our newsroom is 170 journalists strong, supported by a robust network of freelance contributors.

Seniority level