Reporter - Ohio State

Cloud Theory; Columbus (OH); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Health/vision/dental insurance

401(k) plan

Paid time off and parental leave

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Advance Local Media LLC in Ohio is seeking an ambitious, tech-savvy sports reporter to cover Ohio State football and basketball from Columbus. The role emphasizes sourcing, analysis, podcasts, and cross-platform storytelling across written, audio and video formats.

The ideal candidate will balance breaking news with enterprise reporting, build a broad sources network, and engage audiences on social media and podcasts while adapting coverage for multiple platforms.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to break news and develop sources.
• Experience using AI tools to produce top-quality journalism.
• Experience covering college athletics or a high-profile beat.
• Strong reporting, interviewing and enterprise journalism skills.
• Ability to provide insightful analysis backed by reporting.
• Excellent news judgment and ethics.
• Experience appearing on podcasts or video programs.
• Experience shooting, editing and publishing video for social media.
• Strong social media instincts and audience engagement.
• Understanding of SEO and digital publishing best practices.
• Ability to work independently while meeting deadlines.
• Ability to build relationships with athletes, coaches, recruits.
• Proven ability to reach and grow audiences across platforms.
• Experience using analytics to inform content decisions.
• Willingness to work nights, weekends and travel.

Responsibilities

• Gather information and produce journalistically sound content across platforms.
• Publish accurate, timely and distinctive reporting with audience focus.
• Develop and maintain a broad network of sources across beats.
• Produce recruiting and roster management coverage for OSU athletics.
• Identify trends and opportunities before competitors.
• Write news, analysis, enterprise features and commentary.
• Create video content for social platforms and YouTube.
• Engage audiences via social media, live coverage and community interactions.
• Utilize audience analytics to inform content decisions.
• Publish updates across digital platforms throughout the day.

Skills

Source development

AI tools

Podcasts

Video storytelling

Social media

Analytics

News judgment

Ethics

Recruiting coverage

Roster management

Tools

Video editing software

Job description

Strengthening and empowering all of the communities we serve.

Cleveland.com's award-winning sports team has an opening for an ambitious, aggressive and tech-savvy reporter to become part of our three-person team covering the Ohio State football program.

This reporter will live in Columbus and excel in developing sources, delivering insightful opinion and analysis, and producing the kind of stories fans cannot find anywhere else.

The ideal candidate understands that the modern sports reporter must be equally comfortable filing breaking news, building sources, appearing on podcasts, engaging audiences on social media, producing video and creating distinctive journalism that drives conversation.

A primary focus of this position will be on recruiting and roster management, as well as daily coverage of OSU football at home and on the road. The role also will include some coverage of Ohio State basketball.

Crucially, this reporter will be a key voice on Buckeye Talk, one of college football's most popular podcasts, and will help shape coverage strategies across written, audio and video platforms. The successful candidate will understand how audiences consume content differently across platforms and will be skilled at adapting reporting into compelling stories, videos, podcasts and social content.

The reporter will join one of the strongest sports newsrooms in the country and will have the opportunity to help define how Ohio State coverage evolves in a rapidly changing college sports landscape.

Examples of content may include:

• Exclusive news and source-driven reporting
• Recruiting coverage and analysis
• Investigative and accountability reporting
• Transfer portal and roster management coverage
• Enterprise features and profiles
• Podcast appearances and audio storytelling
• Video explainers and social-first reporting
• Live coverage from games, practices and major events

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Demonstrated ability to break news and develop sources
• Demonstrated ability using AI tools to produce top-quality journalism
• Experience covering college athletics, recruiting or a comparable high-profile beat
• Strong reporting, interviewing and enterprise journalism skills
• Ability to produce insightful analysis and informed opinion backed by reporting
• Excellent news judgment and understanding of journalistic ethics
• Experience appearing on podcasts, video programs or other audience-facing platforms
• Experience shooting, editing and publishing video content for social media and YouTube
• Strong social media instincts and audience engagement skills
• Understanding of search engine optimization and digital publishing best practices
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities and deadlines
• Ability to build relationships with athletes, coaches, recruits, administrators and fans
• Proven ability to reach and grow audiences across multiple platforms
• Experience using analytics and audience data to inform content decisions
• Willingness to work nights, weekends and travel as required by the beat

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Gather information and produce journalistically sound content across all platforms that is:

• Accurate and well-sourced
• Timely and competitive
• Distinctive and audience-focused
• Contextual and insightful

Coverage will include:

• Attending games, practices, press conferences, recruiting events and other Ohio State athletic events
• Breaking news and delivering exclusive reporting on Ohio State athletics
• Building and maintaining a broad network of sources
• Producing recruiting coverage with a primary focus on football
• Identifying trends, controversies and story opportunities before competitors
• Writing news stories, analysis, enterprise features and commentary
• Producing video content for social platforms, YouTube and cleveland.com
• Engaging audiences through social media, live coverage and community interaction
• Using audience, analytics and listening tools to identify content opportunities
• Publishing frequent updates throughout the day across digital platforms
• Collaborating with editors, producers and fellow reporters to maximize the reach and impact of coverage
• Monitoring and engaging with reader feedback and discussions when appropriate
• Using AI-assisted and emerging digital tools to strengthen reporting and storytelling
• Other duties as assigned

Additional Information

Advance Local Media offers competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package with affordable options for your healthcare including medical, dental and vision plans, mental health support options, flexible spending accounts, fertility assistance, a competitive 401(k) plan to help plan for your future, generous paid time off, paid parental and caregiver leave and an employee assistance program to support your work/life balance, optional legal assistance, life insurance options, as well as flexible holidays to honor cultural diversity.

Advance Ohio is a part of Advance Local Media, one of the largest media groups in the United States, which operates the leading news and information companies in more than 20 cities, reaching 52+ million people monthly with our quality, real-time journalism and community engagement. Our company is built upon the values of Integrity, Customer-first, Inclusiveness, Collaboration and Forward-looking. For more information about Advance Local, please visit visit www.advancelocal.com .

Advance Ohio is a digitally focused company that operates Cleveland.com, Sun News, Today in Ohio and an assortment of newsletters. It also is responsible for multimedia ad sales, marketing and content for The Plain Dealer, Sun News, Today in Ohio and Cleveland.com.

Advance Local Media is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, encouraging applications from people of all backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, or any other category protected under federal, state or local law.

If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please contact Human Resources and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

Advance Local Media does not provide sponsorship for work visas or employment authorization in the United States. Only candidates who are legally authorized to work in the U.S. will be considered for this position.

Advance Local Media LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. The Know Your Rights poster is available here:

The pay transparency policy is available here:

Advance Local Media LLC is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.

If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please contact Human Resources, and let us know the nature of your request and contact information.

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