Housing Reporter

USA TODAY Co., Inc.; Massachusetts; On-site; USD 30,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

USA TODAY Co., Inc. is seeking a journalist for the Cape Cod Times to cover housing affordability, developments, and lotteries on Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard.

You will report on housing issues, court and public safety topics, and enterprise stories for local and digital audiences. Responsibilities include quick-turn coverage, breaking news reporting, and producing vertical videos for social platforms.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's in communications, journalism or equivalent.
• Strong writing, communication and time management skills.
• Experience creating vertical video content.
• Proven ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to produce clean, accurate, publication-ready content.
• Familiarity with AI and automation to enhance journalism.
• Requires valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.
• Background checks and pre-employment drug screen required.

Responsibilities

• Write quick-turn stories on the news of the day as well as enterprise and investigative pieces.
• Produce short vertical videos for news coverage on social platforms.
• Report breaking news with curiosity, urgency, and initiative.
• Provide thoughtful analysis of complex issues.
• Work with editors and digital/social partners to evaluate performance and plan improvements.
• Collaborate with photographers to provide all elements for stories.
• Capitalize on live moments by creating quick-turn content for social and digital platforms.
• Be proficient with the latest social media tools and trends.
• Use metrics to monitor real-time readership/traffic and adjust content accordingly.

Skills

High-level writing

Time management

Deadline-driven

Sourcing ethics

AI in journalism

Vertical video

Valid driver’s license

Education

Bachelor's or master's in communications, journalism or equivalent

Job description

USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a sustainable, growth focused media and digital marketing solutions company. Through our trusted brands, including the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations, including our network of local properties, in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom, we provide essential journalism, local content, and digital experiences to audiences and businesses. We deliver high-quality, trusted content with a commitment to balanced, unbiased journalism, where and when consumers want to engage. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, supports small and medium-sized businesses with innovative digital marketing products and solutions. USA TODAY Co. open roles are featured on various external job boards.

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The Cape Cod Times

part of USA TODAY Co. is seeking a journalist for our housing beat and to contribute to our public safety, court and local government coverage.

In this assignment, the journalist will cover anything and everything related to housing affordability, housing developments and lotteries on Cape Cod primarily along with Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

Cape Cod’s 15 towns are all facing an array of housing issues, from affordable and workforce housing to residents being priced out of homeownership, especially as seasonal communities. Reader demand for stories about affordable housing, apartments, housing lotteries, housing development, workforce housing continue to increase and are expected to into the future.

Additionally, this assignment will include some high-profile court cases and public safety issues.

The assignment gives the journalist a chance to break news, track trends and analyze their beats, and think at an enterprise level within the larger context of southeastern Massachusetts in stories and videos.

Cape Cod is home to more than 240,000 people in a beautiful seaside environment that offers access to many outdoor activities – on land and water. The Cape, located about an hour south of Boston, has a vibrant creative economy from music to theater and craftspeople to writers. And the Cape is home to some of the most highly regarded scientific research institutions in the world.

This Journalist Will Be Expected To

• Write both quick-turn stories on the news of the day as well as more in-depth enterprise stories and longer-term investigations.
• Produce short vertical videos for news coverage to reach new audiences on social platforms
• Be a curious, assertive, and self-starting journalist who jumps to report on breaking news and trending topics with urgency
• Provide thoughtful analysis of complex issues
• Work with editors, digital and social partners to evaluate what's working and what's not and develop ongoing plans to better satisfy audience needs
• Collaborate with photographers to provide all appropriate elements for stories
• Capitalize on live, breaking and trending moments by creating quick-turn-around content for social media and other digital platforms
• Be proficient on the latest social media tools and trends
• Use metrics to monitor real-time story/content performance, determine digital readership/traffic patterns and make changes in content tied to the data

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master’s in communications, journalism or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• High-level writing, communication and time management skills
• Vertical video-making experience
• Demonstrated ability to work well on deadline
• Ability to produce content that is clean, accurate and publication ready
• Understanding of reporting ethics and sourcing
• Candidates should have facility with AI and automation and experience in using it to enhance their journalism
• This role requires a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and the minimum liability insurance required by state law
• Employment is contingent on passing a pre-employment, post-offer drug screen, motor vehicle record check and background check

The hourly rate for this role will range between $21.88 and $34.13. Base compensation is reflective of many factors, including, but not limited to, the market in which one lives/works, individual education level, skills, certifications and experience. Note: variable compensation is not reflected in these figures and based on the role, may be applicable.

USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a diverse workforce. As such, we will consider all qualified applicants for employment and do not discriminate in connection with employment decisions on the basis of an applicant or employee’s race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, citizenship status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, marital status, personal appearance (including height and weight), sexual orientation, family responsibilities, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), education, genetic characteristics or information, political affiliation, military or veteran status or other classifications protected by applicable federal, state and local laws in the jurisdictions where USA TODAY Co. employs employees. In addition, USA TODAY Co., Inc. will provide applicants who require a reasonable accommodation, as a result of an applicant’s disability or religion, to complete this employment application and/or any other process in connection with an individuals’ application for employment with USA TODAY Co., Inc. Applicants who require such accommodation should contact USA TODAY Co., Inc.’s Recruitment Department at [e-mail]. Applicants must be authorized to work in the applicable location. Applications from outside these regions will be removed from our system after submission.