Reporter – Energy Markets & Industry Coverage

Crain Communications; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 54,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement plan savings contributions

Bonus opportunities based on performance

Job summary

Crain Communications, through Hart Energy, seeks an enterprising reporter in Houston, TX, to deliver insightful news about the energy sector. Candidates should have strong reporting, writing skills, and a minimum of three years of experience.

The role involves breaking news and generating stories on operations, markets, and energy trends, while collaborating with various teams. Hart Energy offers competitive salaries and benefits, promoting engagement within an influential industry.

Qualifications

• Minimum three years of reporting experience, preferably in business or energy sectors.
• Proven track record of breaking news and cultivating sources.
• Comfortable in a digital-first environment.

Responsibilities

• Cover news developments across the energy industry.
• Produce news stories, articles, and analytical pieces.
• Build relationships with industry stakeholders.

Skills

Reporting experience

Strong writing skills

Fact-checking skills

Ability to interpret financial statements

Digital publishing familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree in journalism

Tools

Digital publishing platforms

Analytics tools

Job description

Job Overview

Hart Energy is seeking an enterprising reporter to cover the energy industry for an audience that expects sharp reporting, deep industry knowledge, and actionable insight. This role sits at the center of our newsroom's mission: delivering exclusive news, meaningful analysis, and authoritative coverage that helps energy professionals make informed decisions.

What You'll Do

• Break news and deliver exclusive reporting on developments across the energy industry.
• Cover a broad range of topics including oil and gas operations, markets, corporate strategy, M&A, finance, policy, technology, and energy transition trends.
• Produce quick‑turn news stories, feature articles, enterprise reporting, and analytical pieces.
• Build and maintain relationships with executives, investors, analysts, regulators, and industry stakeholders.
• Monitor company filings, earnings reports, transactions, commodity markets, regulatory developments, and industry data to identify stories ahead of competitors.
• Generate original story ideas that align with audience interests and evolving industry priorities.
• Collaborate with editors, audience teams, and fellow journalists to shape coverage and maximize impact.
• Contribute to newsletters, social media promotion, and digital publishing initiatives.
• Participate in Hart Energy conferences, webinars, podcasts, awards programs, and other editorial events as needed.
• Stay informed about technological innovation, market dynamics, policy developments, and forces reshaping the energy sector.

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Three or more years of reporting experience, preferably in business, energy, finance, or related industries.
• Demonstrated ability to break news and cultivate reliable industry sources.
• Strong writing, reporting, interviewing, and fact‑checking skills.
• Ability to produce accurate, engaging copy under deadline pressure.
• Excellent news judgment and the ability to identify meaningful developments within complex industries.
• Comfort working in a digital‑first environment and managing multiple assignments simultaneously.
• Ability to interpret financial statements, regulatory filings, market data, research reports, and industry trends.
• Familiarity with digital publishing platforms, analytics tools, research databases, and AI‑enabled reporting tools.
• Proven ability to develop enterprise stories that provide context, analysis, and value beyond breaking news.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience covering oil and gas, energy markets, commodities, finance, infrastructure, or industrial sectors.
• Familiarity with SEC filings, earnings reports, and capital markets activity.
• Understanding of upstream, midstream, and energy transition sectors.
• Experience producing newsletters, multimedia content, podcasts, or event‑related journalism.
• A portfolio demonstrating both breaking news capability and in‑depth reporting.
• Existing industry contacts within the energy sector are a plus.

Why Join Hart Energy?

Hart Energy offers the opportunity to cover one of the world's most important industries from its epicenter in Houston. You'll join a respected newsroom with deep industry expertise, engage directly with influential executives and decision‑makers, and contribute to journalism that informs energy leaders around the globe.

Location

Houston, TX with in‑office presence three days a week highly preferred. For the highly qualified person we are open to remote from a state Crain does business in. Will work CT hours.

Pay Transparency Disclosure

The estimated salary range for this position is $54,000 to $85,000. The final salary offering will take into account a wide range of factors, including experience, accomplishments and location. The salary range provided should not be considered as a salary limit or cap. In addition to base salary, Crain also offers competitive benefits including retirement plan savings contributions and bonus opportunities based on individual and company performance.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Crain Communications is an equal‑opportunity employer. The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)