The Akron Beacon Journal/BeaconJournal.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is seeking a health and consumer advocacy reporter to join our core news team.
Our staff is passionate about community-centered reporting and engaging storytelling, whether racing to break news or collaborating on investigative or enterprise projects.
We strive to truly know and serve our community, recognizing potential to attract new subscribers and grow our audience by focusing on issues that matter most to our diverse readership.
Our reporters embrace a responsibility to interact with the community and are adept at using technological tools and social media.
This reporter will cover the business of health care, as well as general medical news and features and stories that examine health inequities in our community.
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As providers of care and major employers, the region's health care systems require comprehensive coverage and scrutiny. Akron's three hospital systems - Summa Health, Cleveland Clinic Akron General and Akron Children's Hospital - are among the largest employers in our region. Northeast Ohio also is home to Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, two well-known health systems with large footprints that include Greater Akron.
This reporting role also will include coverage of trending consumer issues, with a focus on factors that contribute to consumers' overall health - everything from access to food and affordable housing and utilities to financial health.
We are looking for someone who can identify and share great stories -- and work on statewide stories with health reporters at Gannett's other Ohio sites.
The role requires initiative, accuracy and urgency. It demands strong news judgment and the ability to find and identify stories and trends that are immediate, important and influential. Quick writing and reporting skills are essential. Digital/multimedia skill expectations include capturing video and using social media to cover stories in real time.
Some traits we are looking for:
- Comfort with flexing different skillsets (and learning new ones), like writing, reporting, and using multimedia.
- A keen interest in how current events affect everyday people.
- A love of finding stories no one else is telling.
- An interest in new ways of informing and engaging audiences on social platforms and alternate story forms.
- A love of serving information needs with stories but also solutions and conversation.
- A mindset of growth and change, and a willingness to try, be wrong, and learn from failure.
- The ability to grow and cultivate sources from all walks of life.
- A passion for empathetic, compassionate storytelling, and the ability to report on difficult, often traumatic, and emotional topics.
Responsibilities:
- Report quickly, clearly, and accurately and share your web-published stories via Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram or other methods available to reach our audience.
- Use metrics to inform story choices and shape beat strategies.
- Cultivate a beat, knowing the ins/outs of the beat and its key players. Exhibit a genuine interest in people and ability to build trust.
- Write and/or produce video and other multimedia content that appeals to key audience targets.
- Jump on breaking news. Research, write, report, photograph, video and/or voice a variety of stories.
- Experiment with new ways of informing and engaging audiences on social platforms and alternate story forms.
- Monitor real-time news and sniff out the most important and fascinating stories important to our audiences in addition to pursuant enterprise/investigative work to uncover stories that no one else is reporting.
- Exercise strong news judgment.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's or master's in communications, journalism or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum of two years' reporting/newsroom experience.
- Strong copy-editing skills and the ability to produce content that is clean, accurate and "publication ready."
- Is passionate and enthusiastic about news and content that will work well with audiences on social platforms.
- Comfortable in fluid, fast-breaking, stressful situations.
- A desire to grow and develop a key beat in our newsrooms.
- Is comfortable using social media such as X, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to enhance reporting and promote stories.
- Understands reporting ethics and sourcing.
- Excels in a fast-paced news environment and understands the digital first mission.
- Collaborates well with others and can work with a team on the biggest stories.
- Ability to respond to news and adjust shift times as events and beat assignments demand.
- This role requires 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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