High School & College Sports Reporter-Sioux Falls, SD

High School & College Sports Reporter-Sioux Falls, SD The Argus Leader, part of Lee Enterprises, seeks an ambitious, enterprising reporter to cover high school and NCAA Division I college sports for our digital and print audiences in Sioux Falls and across South Dakota. High school sports will be the foundation of this beat, and Division I college sports coverage will be a key responsibility . We’re looking for a journalist who can break news, deliver insightful analysis and tell memorable stories about the athletes, coaches and communities that make sports matter. Our prep coverage emphasizes recruiting, distinctive features and regional and state tournament competition. The beat spans Sioux Falls and surrounding communities, including Brandon, Harrisburg and Tea, with travel across South Dakota for championships and other important events. This reporter will also work closely with our college sports reporter to plan and produce compelling Division I coverage. Collaboration will be essential to identifying strong stories, coordinating coverage and following local athletes as they move from high school to college competition. The ideal candidate goes beyond scores and play-by-play to explain why games were won or lost, what a program’s decisions mean and what fans should watch next. Just as important, this reporter will uncover the human stories behind the competition: the ambitions, challenges and experiences of student-athletes, coaches and families. We want a resourceful journalist who builds trusted sources, breaks recruiting and commitment news, and becomes an essential source of sports coverage in South Dakota. You should think digital first, use audience insights to guide coverage and be comfortable producing video, photography and other content that connects with readers across platforms. Based in South Dakota’s largest city, this position offers the opportunity to cover a vibrant sports community in a regional hub for health care, agriculture, business, dining and entertainment. What You’ll Bring

• The drive to make the Argus Leader an essential source for high school and Division I college sports coverage.
• Strong news judgment and the ability to find compelling stories that serve existing readers and attract new audiences.
• A competitive approach to breaking news, paired with a commitment to accuracy, fairness and context.
• Curiosity about the people behind the results and an ability to turn strong reporting into engaging storytelling.
• Initiative in developing sources and maintaining relationships with athletes, coaches, families and athletic programs.
• A collaborative mindset and enthusiasm for contributing to statewide sports coverage.

Responsibilities

• Report and produce accurate, engaging high school and Division I college sports coverage, including breaking news, enterprise stories, features, recruiting updates and analysis.
• Collaborate with our college sports reporter and editors to set coverage priorities, coordinate assignments and develop stories across both beats.
• Build a reliable source network to identify emerging stories and break news, including college commitments by top South Dakota recruits.
• Cover key games, tournaments and championships, with travel as needed.
• Use search trends, social platforms and other reporting tools to discover story ideas and understand audience interests.
• Shoot and edit photos and video, and obtain appropriate permissions for contributed visual content.
• Tell stories in formats suited to the audience and platform, including articles, Q&As, lists, photo galleries and video.
• Use real-time audience metrics to inform coverage decisions and respond to reader interest.
• Engage with audiences on social media and promote coverage effectively.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s or master’s degree in journalism, communications or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Professional journalism experience or significant internship experience.
• Strong reporting, writing, communication and time-management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and produce clean, accurate, publication-ready work.
• Ability to shoot and edit photos and video and publish quickly across digital platforms.
• Proficiency with social media for reporting, source development, audience engagement and story promotion.
• A sound understanding of journalism ethics, sourcing and verification.
• A valid driver’s license, reliable transportation and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.
• Employment is contingent on passing a post-offer, pre-employment background check, motor vehicle record check and urinalysis drug screen.

How to Apply Show us what you can do and how you would approach this beat. Submit one PDF containing the following materials, in this order:

• Your resume: One to two pages.
• A cover letter: Explain how you would approach high school and Division I college sports coverage for the Argus Leader.
• Links to six online work samples: Choose examples that best demonstrate your reporting, writing and multimedia skills. For collaborative work, briefly describe your contribution.

Please combine all application materials into a single PDF before uploading so we can fully review your qualifications and work. Why Join Us?Lee Enterprises offers competitive wages in a dynamic, interesting work environment with career growth opportunities.  We offer an extensive benefit program that can be personalized to your needs. Our benefit program includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, company provided life insurance and supplemental life insurance. In addition, we offer a 401K retirement plan with company match.  We also offer generous paid time off to allow flexibility to balance personal life and work.  This includes paid parental leave for new parents. Lee Enterprises is a leading provider of local news and information and a major subscription and advertising platform, with daily and weekly newspapers and rapidly expanding digital products serving 114 markets across 25 states. Our core commitment is to provide valuable, intensely local news and information to the communities we serve. Lee Enterprises is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We respect and celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. For more information about Lee, check us out at