Full-time Multimedia Journalist

Newspapers,

Employment Type: Full time,

CITY HALL/ MUNICIPAL REPORTER

Executive Editor

The New Bedford Light is a free and independent digital news outlet. Our mission is to inform and nourish the civic culture of New Bedford and surrounding towns by providing in-depth, fact-based journalism and a broad platform for diverse community voices. We also promote media literacy and educate the public about the vital role of a free press in bolstering our democracy.

City Hall/Municipal Reporter

The reporter is responsible for both researching and reporting issues of relevance to our community and identifying stories to amplify, or concerns to examine. The reporter is responsible for establishing The Light as a trustworthy, authoritative, and valued source of local news by reporting through a fair and unbiased perspective. The Light produces high-quality news that is regularly re-published by other media outlets and informs professionals and policymakers across the country.

The reporter is self-directed and maintains the ability to develop sources and contacts from diverse groups of people, acquire public records from local, state and federal governments, and juggle explanatory, enterprise and long-range projects.

The reporter will thrive on reporting and telling stories with data, documents and photos in a hybrid newsroom of experienced and dedicated journalists. The reporter will find, explore, clean and analyze datasets, file documents requests (e.g., FOIA), and write articles for publication online that align with The Light's audience. The reporter will report to the Executive Editor and will interact daily with the editorial team in a highly collaborative newsroom.

The ideal candidate will be able to report and complete complex stories and visualize related multimedia elements while meeting deadlines. The candidate will be comfortable working with experienced as well as early-career journalists.

Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism

Maintain excellent standards, ensuring content is verified, up-to-date, and helpful

Possess strong writing and reporting skills and excellent news judgment

Pitch, report, and produce original stories on news deadlines for digital platforms

Demonstrate ability to access and analyze public records, including campaign finance data, court records, property records

Demonstrate ability to tell stories using a variety of tools and platforms, including capturing and editing video and data/graphics

Monitor local, state, and national sources of news, information, and resources to identify issues of relevance to New Bedford and the South Coast

Demonstrate ability to pitch and draft beat-related social media content, ensuring relevance, timeliness, clarity, and cultural awareness

Demonstrate ability to analyze and visually present data

Work closely with editors on each story, which will typically go through several rounds of editing.

Have at least two years' experience in covering municipal government

Possess a passion for reporting and storytelling with an emphasis on how residents and communities are impacted

Possess strong multimedia skills, including photography, audio, video and editing

Be well organized and capable of juggling multiple tasks and projects while maintaining deadlines and high standards

Maintain a professional social media presence

Be flexible and comfortable working in an environment where multitasking is the norm

Have at least two years' experience in covering municipal government

Possess a passion for reporting and storytelling with an emphasis on how residents and communities are impacted

Possess strong multimedia skills, including photography, audio, video and editing

Be well organized and capable of juggling multiple tasks and projects while maintaining deadlines and high standards

Maintain a professional social media presence

Be flexible and comfortable working in an environment where multitasking is the norm