The Deep South Connect team, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is looking for a reporter to join our breaking news and trending team, focusing primarily on Mississippi and the southeastern United States. We are looking for a reporter who is quick and flexible - able to identify story ideas, write them in different formats and aggressively pursue them. This reporter should be comfortable working with reporters and editors across the region and able to seamlessly move between topics, playing a role in some of the biggest developing stories, but also able to develop their own story ideas to pursue.
The reporter will work closely with our Mississippi newsrooms to cover the biggest stories in the state, help swarm breaking news and plan for major events, ranging from sports to news. Their stories could be related to public safety, weather, events and more.
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The goal of this position is to reach new readers with creative story formats, including video, listicles, explainers and more.
This reporter will use social listening tools to offer insight and value to readers on topics they care about. They will use data and analytics to inform their decisions. This reporter must have a passion for telling stories quickly when needed, in-depth when called for, and always with accuracy.
The typical shift will be early mornings (starting at 7 a.m. CST), but night and/or weekend shifts may also be required.
Responsibilities:
- Monitor emails, social media, community groups and other sources to find stories.
- Monitor breaking news in Mississippi and across the region.
- Efficiently and accurately write stories, often several per day.
- Find, pitch and swiftly produce stories on topics of emerging interest, with a focus on what readers want and need to know.
- Ensure content is properly optimized with conversational headlines, SEO, links, video and photo galleries.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's or master's degree in journalism or any other subject or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Expert at using social media platforms; including but not limited to Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and Reddit.
- 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.
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:
- Your resume - one to two pages.
- A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
- Links to no more than three published stories, writing samples and/or audio samples.
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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