Reporter - Austin Weekly News

Growing Community Media; Oak Park (IL); Hybrid; USD 45,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading nonprofit news organization seeks a passionate reporter to cover the Austin neighborhood in Chicago. This role focuses on community-driven journalism, elevating local voices, and fostering connections. Ideal candidates are committed to equitable storytelling and have ties to the community. The position offers a salary of $45,000, with benefits and a hybrid work environment.

Benefits

Health Benefits

Dental Benefits

Vision Benefits

Retirement Benefits

Competitive Time Off

Qualifications

• Commitment to community journalism and equitable storytelling.
• Excellent listening skills and ability to build relationships.
• Strong writing, reporting, and interviewing skills.

Responsibilities

• Report, write, and file multiple stories per week.
• Cultivate relationships within the community.
• Attend community meetings and events regularly.

Skills

Listening

Writing

Reporting

Interviewing

Community Engagement

Education

Journalism Experience

Job description

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Reporter at Austin Weekly News

Full time at our offices in Oak Park, IL and in Austin, Chicago

About Austin Weekly News

Austin Weekly News (AWN) is a trusted and long-standing source of local news serving the residents of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Our mission is to reflect, inform and empower the community through accurate, timely and deeply relevant journalism. AWN is published by the nonprofit Growing Community Media and is committed to building a stronger West Side through authentic storytelling and meaningful civic engagement.

Why This Role Matters

This position is an opportunity to serve in a vital role in one of Chicago’s most resilient and dynamic communities. Your work will help elevate local voices, connect neighbors and create lasting impact by shaping how Austin is seen and understood. Austin is a historically Black neighborhood with a deep legacy of civic engagement, cultural pride and resilience in the face of systemic disinvestment. Thoughtful, community-driven journalism can play a powerful role in honoring that history and helping the neighborhood thrive.

About the Role

We are looking for a passionate and curious reporter who sees the value in local voices and who understands the power of journalism to inform, connect and uplift a community. This is a community-first role, focused on covering the Austin neighborhood with care, depth and a strong sense of place. We are especially interested in candidates who live in Austin or who have personal ties to the neighborhood.

As a reporter for Austin Weekly News, you will serve as the community’s eyes and ears; reporting on stories that matter to residents, from neighborhood meetings to youth programs to housing and economic development. You’ll build relationships with local leaders, residents, advocates and organizations to surface stories that often go untold. This role is central to our vision for revitalized, sustainable news coverage on Chicago’s West Side.

The salary for this position is $45,000. We’re open to adjusting that range for candidates who bring exceptional experience or unique qualifications to the role. Growing Community Media offers health, dental, vision and retirement benefits, competitive time off offerings, and is a hybrid workplace. This position is funded by a generous grant from Press Forward Chicago. The position reports directly to the editor.

Key Responsibilities

• Report, write and file multiple stories per week that reflect the issues, people and events shaping the Austin neighborhood
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships within the community to identify emerging issues and underreported stories
• Attend community meetings, events, and public forums regularly
• Collaborate with editors and fellow journalists across our titles to ensure high-impact coverage
• Pitch ideas regularly that reflect the needs and interests of Austin residents
• Use social media and other tools to share reporting and engage with readers
• Contribute to ongoing efforts to reimagine local news as a tool for community empowerment

Qualifications

• A commitment to community journalism and equitable storytelling
• Excellent listening skills and the ability to build authentic relationships across diverse groups
• Strong writing, reporting and interviewing skills
• A high degree of personal integrity and accountability
• Self-motivated, organized and responsive to feedback
• Familiarity with and/or ties to the Austin neighborhood or Chicago’s West Side strongly preferred
• Prior journalism experience is welcome but not required. We’re open to emerging reporters with strong local knowledge and storytelling instincts

To Apply

Please send a brief cover letter explaining your interest in the role, a resume and three to five writing samples or clips (published or unpublished) to [e-mail]. If you have ties to the Austin neighborhood, we’d love to hear about them.

Growing Community Media is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Entry level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Marketing, Public Relations, and Writing/Editing

• Industries

  Newspaper Publishing

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