Local Politics Reporter

Advance Local; Woodbridge Township (NJ); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

NJ.com is seeking an experienced journalist to cover politics, conflict, and power struggles in New Jersey's towns, school districts, and local and state government agencies — the stories that fracture communities and hit closest to home.

The Local Politics Reporter will zero in on school board fights, town hall power struggles, and the controversies that spill from one community across the entire state — and elevate them through detailed reporting, sharp writing, and engaging storytelling.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field or equivalent experience.
• Minimum of five years in journalism with proven reporting and writing, preferably investigations.
• Strong understanding of newswriting ethics and story structure.
• Clear and engaging writing style.
• Ability to cultivate sources in government, advocacy groups, education and other demographics.
• Ability to engage audiences on high-value topics with frequency and urgency.
• Proven experience building and engaging an active audience.
• Understanding of delivering content across platforms.
• Experience using social media to find stories and promote content.
• Ability to work independently under deadline and with editors.

Responsibilities

• Cover local politics including school boards, town halls, and government.
• Produce breaking news, enterprise and trend pieces with engaging storytelling.
• Develop long-form reports when opportunities arise.
• Adapt storytelling to multimedia formats such as social video and podcasts.

Skills

News reporting

Investigative reporting

Source cultivation

Story structure

Multimedia storytelling

Social media

Deadline-driven

Independent work

Team collaboration

Public affairs

Education

Bachelor's degree in journalism related field

Job description

Strengthening and empowering all of the communities we serve.

NJ.com is seeking an experienced journalist to cover politics, conflict, and power struggles in New Jersey's towns, school districts, and local and state government agencies — the stories that fracture communities and hit closest to home.

The Local Politics Reporter will zero in on the politics of local flashpoints — school board fights, town hall power struggles, and the controversies that spill from one community across the entire state — and elevate them through detailed reporting, sharp writing, and engaging storytelling.

We want a dogged journalist who will find the next mob hitman-turned-councilman and the next mayor who declares war on his own town's schools. We seek a versatile reporter who can cover everything from a contentious school policy fight to a town council power struggle, with the range to step into Statehouse issues — the state budget, Gov. Mikie Sherrill's agenda — when they directly affect Jersey residents and their wallets. And we require the rare journalist who can drill down on the smallest detail but write with sweep, scale and smarts.

Coverage will include breaking news, short-term enterprise and trend pieces, but there could be opportunities for longform stories.

We’re also looking for reporters who think beyond the written word. Fluency in social video storytelling, podcasts, and other multimedia formats is a plus — we want someone who can bring these stories to life across myriad platforms.

We’re committed to building a newsroom that reflects the diversity of the community we serve. In this position, you will be part of a dynamic and inclusive team focused on local journalism for one of the country's largest privately owned media companies.

The pay rate for this position is $65,000 - $85,000 annually.

This job requires reliable transportation to meet with sources and cover events.

Our Ideal Candidate Will Have The Following

• A bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• A minimum of five years in journalism with a proven ability in reporting and writing required, preferably including experience in investigations.
• A sound understanding of newswriting, journalistic ethics, and story structure.
• Possession of a clear and engaging writing style.
• An ability to cultivate sources in government, advocacy groups, educational circles, and other demographics offering unique and visionary coverage.
• A demonstrated capability in capitalizing on high-value topics by engaging audiences in frequency and urgency.
• Proven experience building, maintaining, and engaging an active audience.
• An understanding of the methods and tools used to deliver content across a variety of platforms.
• Experience using social media to find stories and promote content.
• An ability to work independently under deadline pressure and prioritize assignments.
• An ability to work collaboratively with editors and fellow reporters.
• A willingness to keep abreast of industry advances and proactively consider new methods of reaching audiences.
• Comfort and fluency in multimedia storytelling formats — social video, podcasts, and beyond — a plus.