Multimedia Journalist, Education & Opportunity

PBS39; Bethlehem (Northampton County); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

PBS39 is looking for a Multimedia Journalist to cover the Education and Opportunity beat in the Lehigh Valley. You will produce original content across digital, audio, video, and social platforms, engaging with communities to provide stories that reflect access, equity, and opportunity.

The ideal candidate will possess strong storytelling skills, have experience in multimedia production, and build trust-based relationships within diverse communities. A Bachelor's degree in journalism or related field is required, alongside 2-3 years of professional experience.

Qualifications

• Proficient in producing content across multiple formats including text, audio, and video.
• Ability to develop genuine relationships across various organizations.
• Understanding of journalism ethics, accuracy, and editorial standards.

Responsibilities

• Own the Education and Opportunity beat while producing community-centered content.
• Build a diverse source network across education and workforce sectors.
• Report and produce original content for various platforms.

Skills

Strong storytelling

Photo and video capture

Audio recording and editing

Creating social-native content

Building trust-based relationships

Education

Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, or related field

2-3 years of professional journalism or content experience

Job description

Job Summary

• The Multimedia Journalist, Education and Opportunity covers the systems, institutions, and community forces that shape how people in the Lehigh Valley learn, work, and build their futures.
• This beat spans public school funding and outcomes, workforce development, career pathways, and childcare as a barrier to economic participation.
• The journalist in this role produces original content across digital, audio, video, newsletter, and social platforms, and brings a community first lens to stories about access, equity, and opportunity in the Lehigh Valley.

Responsibilities

• Own the Education and Opportunity beat, developing deep knowledge of the Lehigh Valley's public schools, school districts, workforce development programs, career pathway initiatives, and childcare landscape.
• Build and maintain a strong, diverse source network across the beat, including educators, school administrators, workforce development organizations, parents, students, and community advocates.
• Report and produce original content consistently across digital, newsletter, audio, and video formats, meeting deadlines and editorial standards.
• Pitch story ideas regularly and work with the Director of Content to develop and execute a beat coverage plan aligned with LVPM's editorial themes.
• Create and capture social-native content—short‑form video, photos, and clips—from the field and from finished stories, in coordination with the Social Media Coordinator.
• Engage with students, families, educators, and community organizations in ways that reflect LVPM's commitment to community‑centered journalism.
• Represent LVPM in the community, attending events, public meetings, and community gatherings relevant to the beat.
• Contribute to LVPM's newsletters by providing beat content, story summaries, and updates on a regular cadence.
• All other duties as assigned.

Key Accountabilities

• Consistent production of original, community-centered content on the Education and Opportunity beat across platforms, on deadline and to editorial standard.
• A well-developed beat with active source relationships across schools, workforce organizations, and community partners.
• Content that reaches audiences across digital, newsletter, audio, video, and social platforms.
• Meaningful contribution to LVPM's social content through field capture, clips, and social-native storytelling.
• Active participation in tentpole programming and community events relevant to the beat.

Requirements

Skills

• Strong storyteller who can produce across formats and adapt tone and length for each platform.
• Able to shoot and capture photos and video in the field to a publishable standard.
• Comfortable recording and editing audio for podcast and digital distribution.
• Creates social-native content that engages audiences on the platforms where they are.
• Strong source builder who develops genuine, trust-based relationships across schools, workforce organizations, and the broader community.

Knowledge

• Solid grounding in journalism ethics, accuracy, fairness, and editorial standards.
• Understanding of how content distributes differently across digital, newsletter, audio, video, and social platforms.
• Familiarity with the Lehigh Valley's education systems, workforce landscape, and community organizations, or a demonstrated eagerness to develop that knowledge quickly.
• Understanding of the policy and funding structures that shape public education and workforce development at the local and state level.

Experience

• Two to three (2‑3) years of professional journalism or content experience, including reporting, writing, and multimedia production.
• Demonstrated experience producing content across more than one format—text, audio, video, or social.
• Experience covering education, workforce development, or related community beats preferred.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish, preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Traits

• Curious
• Dependable
• Community-minded

Characteristics

• Genuinely interested in how education and opportunity shape life in the Lehigh Valley—brings that curiosity and care into every story.
• Approaches the work with a can‑do attitude and figures out how to get things done across formats and deadlines.
• Works well independently and as part of a collaborative team and is easy to edit.

Other Work Requirements

• May be asked to work longer hours and occasional weekends, particularly for tentpole events, school board meetings, community programming, and breaking coverage.
• As you will/may be driving a company vehicle or your own vehicle for company business, a valid driver’s license and a good driving record as determined by a driver’s license background check is required for this position.
• All team members must successfully pass a background check (7 years), FBI fingerprint clearance and PA child clearance.