Service Journalism and Trending Reporter

Gannett Co., Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 10,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a passionate reporter for their service journalism team. This role focuses on covering Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), providing timely and engaging content on education, culture, and community issues. The ideal candidate will have a strong journalism background, excellent writing skills, and the ability to connect with diverse audiences. With a flexible remote working arrangement, this position offers the opportunity to shape narratives that matter to HBCU communities, while collaborating with a dynamic team of editors and reporters. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and have a passion for storytelling, this role is perfect for you.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of journalism experience with editing and planning skills.
• Expertise in social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Responsibilities

• Create effective coverage plans and monitor relevant stories.
• Write several accurate stories per day and optimize content for search.

Skills

Social Media Expertise

Concise Writing

Fact-Checking

Multi-tasking

Effective Communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism

Master’s Degree in Journalism

Tools

Google Trends

SEO Tools

Job description

Service Journalism and Trending Reporter

United States

Job Description

|Current Gannett Employees- Please ensure you are using our abbreviated process on the internal Careers site by logging into Dayforce through OKTA|

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a scalable, growth-focused media and digital marketing solutions company. Our current portfolio of trusted media brands includes the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations in the United States. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, uses innovation and software to enable small and medium-sized businesses to grow. Gannett open roles are featured on various external job boards. When applying to a position at Gannett, you should be completing an application on Gannett Careers via Dayforce. Job postings directing you to complete an application on other external sites may not be valid. To connect with us, visit www.gannett.com.

The National Connect team, part of the USA TODAY Network, is looking for a reporter to join our service journalism and trending team. This experienced reporter with an editor’s sensibility will provide timely and audience-focused coverage of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across America, capturing the unique perspectives and rich history of the HBCU culture as it relates to trending and breaking news. The reporter should be well-sourced and able to build relationships with major players and personalities key to the HBCU community and culture. Key to this beat will be the ability to write about the HBCU experiences on a number of topics like education/academics, funding, politics, social justice, community service, and more.

This reporter should be a deeply curious self-starter, highly competitive and possess the desire to inform digital audiences. The reporter should be comfortable working with local and national editors and reporters, and able to seamlessly move between topics with an eye on how they affect Historically Black Colleges and Universities or specific schools or campuses, including pop culture trends. Great digital headline-writing skills are a must, and the reporter will be responsible for coverage plans.

The reporter will work closely with USA TODAY Network editors and reporters in states and regions near HBCUs to cover high-interest stories, help swarm breaking news and plan for major events.

This reporter should be comfortable interacting with and listening to social media and other digital communities, and being comfortable on camera is a plus. They will use data and analytics, and Google Trends and other SEO tools to inform their story choices and presentation on and off our platforms. This reporter must love telling stories quickly when needed, in-depth when called for, and always with accuracy. A relentless passion for HBCU life, culture and the present and future of these communities is a plus, as is having attended an HBCU, though not required.

The typical shift will start early, but must be flexible for what the topic needs, meaning nights and/or weekends may also be required. The position is fully remote, but this reporter must live in an HBCU community.

Responsibilities:

• Create highly effective coverage plans with minimal supervision.
• Monitor emails, social media, community groups and other sources to find stories.
• Monitor breaking news across the country for impact and relevance to HBCUs.
• Efficiently and accurately write stories, several per day.
• Find, pitch and swiftly produce stories on topics of emerging interest, focusing on what readers want and need to know.
• Ensure content is properly optimized for competitive search ranking and best practices for user experience.
• Travel to campuses or other locations as needed for high-impact coverage and events.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in journalism or related field. (Attendance at an HBCU is a plus.)
• Minimum 3 to 5 years’ experience in journalism with editing and planning experience a plus.
• Expert at using social media platforms; including but not limited to Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and Bluesky.
• Command of concise writing, spelling, grammar, and AP style.
• Good fact-checking and reporting skills.
• Well-organized, detail-oriented and flexible.
• Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively inside and outside the organization.

How To Apply:

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

1. Your resume – one to two pages.
2. A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
3. Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you’ve produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.

It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.

Gannett Co., Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a diverse workforce. As such, we will consider all qualified applicants for employment and do not discriminate in connection with employment decisions on the basis of an applicant or employee’s race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, citizenship status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, marital status, personal appearance (including height and weight), sexual orientation, family responsibilities, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), education, genetic characteristics or information, political affiliation, military or veteran status or other classifications protected by applicable federal, state and local laws in the jurisdictions where Gannett employs employees.