Clemson Sports Reporter

About the job Clemson Sports Reporter


The Post and Courier, South Carolina's largest and most award-winning news organization, is seeking an energetic, enterprising and experienced reporter to cover Clemson athletics - one of the marquee beats at a newspaper with a long tradition of distinguished sports journalism.

This is a high-impact, high-visibility position covering one of the most competitive landscapes in college athletics. The right candidate will work independently, develop sources quickly and bring a deep working knowledge of the ACC, the NCAA and the business of college sports - including NIL, the transfer portal and the revenue-sharing era that began with the House v. NCAA settlement.

The beat is football and men's basketball heavy, with expanded coverage of baseball. Clemson fields championship-level programs across soccer, golf, tennis and more - the right reporter knows when those stories deserve attention.

This beat is highly competitive, with several in-state and national outlets covering the Tigers. You must be unafraid to ask tough questions, push for answers and be persistent in getting the story.

You will work in close coordination with The Post and Courier's South Carolina Gamecocks beat reporter to shape our statewide coverage of one of the country's fiercest college rivalries. As part of the largest newsroom in South Carolina, you'll also collaborate with reporters across our network of newsrooms.

The position reports to the sports editor and is based in Clemson, South Carolina. Travel is a regular part of the job - expect to cover home and road football games, postseason basketball and baseball, and ACC and NCAA tournament play.

Journalists who join The Post and Courier find opportunities in a Pulitzer Prize-winning environment to do some of the best work of their career, limited only by their ambition and determination.

Duties and responsibilities

Your typical duties and responsibilities will include:

• Finding and breaking news as it happens.
• Going beyond the stale game stories to provide thoughtful analysis to those who saw the games but want deeper understanding of what happened and why.
• Providing entertaining briefs on trending topics as they happen.
• Writing features that look behind the Xs and Os to the players, coaches and personnel that make up the programs.
• Covering the business and policy of college athletics - NIL deals and collectives, the transfer portal, revenue sharing, conference realignment and the other forces reshaping the sport.
• Generating enterprise ideas that go deeper into important issues affecting Clemson athletics and the sports world in general, including being comfortable filing state and federal public records requests under South Carolina's FOIA and related statutes.
• Working with a team of editors and reporters to collaborate on specific topics or bigger projects.
• Easily switching between fast-paced reporting and long-term projects throughout the season, including breaking news on multiple sports at any given time.
• Engaging readers and fans through innovative storytelling - tightly woven narratives, punchy stories, vertical video, social media, podcasts and audio. You must feel comfortable letting your personality and true self shine through.
• Working with editors and the audience team to grow our Clemson-focused newsletter, podcast and subscription conversions, using digital metrics to evaluate what's working and refine plans to better serve reader needs.
• Building a personal brand that elevates Clemson coverage and amplifies The Post and Courier's sports journalism statewide.

Qualifications

The successful candidate should have the following qualifications:

• College degree, in journalism preferred.
• Strong writing, spelling and grammar skills; familiarity with AP style.
• At least 3 years of sports reporting experience; college beat experience strongly preferred.
• Deep knowledge of NCAA sports required; familiarity with the ACC strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of NIL, the transfer portal and revenue sharing in college athletics.
• Ability to work independently in a remote setting.
• Ability to collaborate with a remote team on stories and projects.
• Strong command of social media, including emerging platforms more prevalent among high-school and college athletes.
• Demonstrated experience using digital metrics to produce and promote engaging content.
• Comfort with vertical video, podcasting and other audience-first storytelling formats.
• Comfort building a beat in a competitive environment and communicating with athletes, coaches and administrators.
• Flexibility to work odd hours and different days as game schedules demand.
• Willingness to travel for games and assignments.
• Excellent news judgment.

Benefits

The Post and Courier offers a competitive benefits package, including health, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) with company match and paid time off.

Equal opportunity

The Post and Courier is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a newsroom that reflects the communities we cover and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.