INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER/MMJ - WNDU

Gray Local Media, Inc; South Bend (IN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

WNDU in South Bend, Indiana is seeking an Investigative Reporter/MMJ to dig, file public records requests, and work sources across on-air, online, and social platforms.

You will own stories from pitch to air, develop confidential sources, and use data and documents to deepen accountability reporting, with photographers available but you should shoot and edit when needed.

The role demands strong ethics, resilience, and the ability to cover breaking news with depth while meeting SPJ standards.

Qualifications

• Proven investigative or accountability reporting experience; we want to see the work.
• Experience using public records, data, or documents to break original stories.
• Ability to handle daily investigative hits and longer-term series development.
• Strong on-camera presence; MMJ skills to shoot, edit, and present your own material.
• Source development skills; you have relationships and build new ones.
• Ethical standards and ability to withstand scrutiny.
• Valid U.S. driver's license and ability to drive a company vehicle.
• Journalism degree preferred but not required; your body of work speaks for itself.
• Must carry 35+ pounds of gear; experience shooting/editing.
• Familiarity with ENPS, Arc, and Edius is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Drive original daily investigative and enterprise reporting for WNDU.
• File and manage public records requests (FOIA, state open records).
• Use data, documents, and records to build stories from the ground up.
• Develop, cultivate, and protect confidential sources across government, law enforcement, business, and the community.
• Examine breaking and day-of news through an investigative lens.
• Manage longer-form investigations simultaneously at different stages of development.
• Shoot, write, edit, and present your own stories as a full MMJ.
• Translate complex investigative findings into compelling, accessible content for broadcast, digital, and social audiences.
• Collaborate with editorial leadership on story development, legal review, and publication strategy.
• Uphold the highest standards of accuracy, fairness, and SPJ ethics.

Skills

Investigative reporting

Public records requests

MMJ skills

Source development

On-camera presence

Editing video

Driving ability

Ethical journalism

Legal and editorial scrutiny

Shooting/editing

ENPS familiarity

Arc familiarity

Edius familiarity

Education

Journalism degree preferred

Tools

ENPS

Arc

Edius

Job description

About Gray Media:

Today, we are a growing multimedia company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. We are the nation's largest owner of top-rated local television stations and digital assets serving 117 full-power television markets that collectively reach approximately 37% of US television households. The portfolio includes 80 markets with the top-rated television station and 100 markets with the first and/or second highest rated television station in average all-day ratings across 116 of such markets that were measured by Nielsen in 2025. We also own the largest Telemundo Affiliate group with 46 markets and Gray Digital Media, a full-service digital agency offering national and local clients digital marketing strategies with the most advanced digital products and services. Our additional media properties include video production companies Raycom Sports, Tupelo Media Group, and PowerNation Studios, and studio production facilities Assembly Atlanta and Third Rail Studios.

About WNDU:

WNDU boasts a history of more than 70 years and sits on the campus of the world-renowned University of Notre Dame. We cover northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan. We produce over 36 hours of live news each week and continue to expand our coverage. Our team is committed to the highest standards in news, entertainment, informational, and public service programming. Our viewers love having a major research university in their backyard, the history of a strong manufacturing sector, and a robust court system. They also demand accountability from those institutions. The stories are here. We need the right journalist to find the stories and tell them.

Job Summary/Description:

WNDU in South Bend, Indiana is looking for an Investigative Reporter/MMJ. You will dig. You will file records requests. You will work sources. You will gather documents. You will tell complex, consequential stories in ways that are clear, fair, and impossible to ignore. And you will do it across every platform, on air, online, and on social. This role is not just about producing lengthy series pieces; we expect you on air regularly as part of the 16 News Now team. When a breaking news story has an investigative angle, a document, a record, a source with context no one else has, we want you gathering and fronting that information, bringing depth and accountability to stories as they happen, not weeks later. If you have the chops and the experience, we want to hear from you;

Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Drive original daily investigative and enterprise reporting for WNDU. We need more than a long-form series. We want accountability journalism that shows up in every newscast.
• File and manage public records requests (FOIA, state open records) as a core reporting tool, not an afterthought.
• Use data, documents, and records to build stories from the ground up.
• Develop, cultivate, and protect confidential sources across government, law enforcement, business, and the community.
• Examine breaking and day-of news through an investigative lens - gathering records, sourcing context, and fronting stories that go deeper than the surface.
• Manage longer-form investigations simultaneously at different stages of development.
• Shoot, write, edit, and present your own stories as a full MMJ. Own the story from pitch to air. We do have photographers who will work with you, but you shouldn't be reliant on them for every story or shoot.
• Translate complex investigative findings into compelling, accessible content for broadcast, digital, and social audiences.
• Collaborate with editorial leadership on story development, legal review, and publication strategy.
• Uphold the highest standards of accuracy, fairness, and SPJ ethics - every story, every time.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Proven investigative or accountability reporting experience; we want to see the work.
• A track record of using public records, data, or documents to break original stories.
• The ability to work at two speeds simultaneously: daily investigative hits AND longer-term series development.
• Strong on-camera presence and MMJ skills; you shoot, edit, and present your own material, and you are comfortable being a visible, recognizable face of the 16 News Now brand.
• Source development skills built over time; you have relationships, and you know how to build new ones.
• The ability to take a dense, document-heavy story and make it matter to a general audience.
• Unshakable ethical standards; you understand the weight of this work, and you handle it accordingly.
• Comfort with legal and editorial scrutiny; you document your reporting, and you stand behind it.
• Resilience: investigations get complicated, sources go cold, and stories take longer than expected, but you do not quit.
• Valid U.S. driver's license and ability to drive a company vehicle.
• A journalism-related degree is preferred, but not required; your body of work must speak for itself.
• Must be able to carry 35+ pounds of gear, and be experienced in shooting and editing unique content. We do have photographers to partner with on appropriate assignments.
• Familiarity with ENPS, Arc, and Edius is a plus, but not required.

WNDU-TV/Gray Media is a drug-free company

Additional Info:

Gray Media provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Gray Media complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Gray Media expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Gray’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.