Sports Reporter, St. Cloud Minnesota

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The St. Cloud Times , part of the USA TODAY NETWORK , is seeking a sports reporter to join our team and cover high school and college athletics in Central Minnesota.


The Times is in a competitive sports market, where football and hockey are critical areas of coverage. The area is also home to state high school championship teams in a host of sports. It means the audience seeks quality reporting, breaking news, feature writing and in-depth research on areas across the high school sports scene. The town is also home to St. Cloud State University and its Division I hockey programs.


Words are important, but it's also key to meet the athletes in their comfort zone across social media. Experience with photography is not required, but a bonus.


St. Cloud is a thriving multi-city location in central Minnesota situated about one hour from the Twin Cities. The metro area population is more than 200,000, with the Twin Cities coming in at 3.7 million. The population in St. Cloud, which continues to rise, is diverse in this growing region of Minnesota.


Responsibilities:

• Create storytelling that accurately informs, entertains and engages specific audiences and platforms through the use of metrics.
• Work toward becoming the community's leading voice of expertise in high school sports.
• Connect with the community through storytelling and outreach (social media, on camera, forums, community leadership, etc.). Provide thoughtful analysis of complex issues.
• Work with editor and content strategist to evaluate what's working and what's not and develop ongoing plans to satisfy audience needs.
• Collaborate to provide appropriate elements for stories (i.e. photos, videos and graphics). Capture basic photos and video as needed.
• Promote personal brand, the brands of colleagues and the institutional brand.
• Provide great customer service, helping readers find answers and solutions.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in communications, journalism or related field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Previous reporting experience preferred; even better if you've covered sports.
• Proficiency on social media platforms; including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Reddit.
• Experience shooting and editing photos and video on a mobile device.
• Strong communication skills, news judgement and headline-writing ability.
• Ability to multitask and excel under intense deadline pressure.
• Ability to work collaboratively and efficiently.
• Strong writing, spelling and grammar skills; familiarity with AP style.
• Ability to work nights and weekends.
• Comfort building a beat and communicating with athletes and coaches.
• A valid driver's license, reliable transportation and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.

Application Instructions

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.

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