Communities Reporter, The Denton Record-Chronicle

Location: Denton, Texas
Job Category: Newspapers,Online | New Media
Job ID: 11954
Employment Type: Full time
Salary:
Posted: 11.14.2024

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Occupations:

Job Description:

WHO WE ARE:
KERA reaches more than 4.5 million people each month through KERA TV, KERA News, KERA Arts, KXT, WRR, and the Denton Record-Chronicle. For more than 60 years, North Texans have turned to KERA and its platforms as a destination for trusted educational programming and initiatives, community engagement and lifelong learning.

The Denton Record-Chronicle (DRC), a daily newspaper for the past 120 years, is making significant moves to redefine what local news looks like in a market that is constantly growing and is increasingly mobile. Serving a county of more than 1 million people, the DRC is meeting readers with news where they are – on their phones, in their inboxes, on social media and in the community.

As we seek to recognize and reflect the increasing diversity among our audiences, we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and with diverse perspectives to consider employment opportunities at KERA.

POSITION SUMMARY:
The Denton Record-Chronicle is seeking a Communities Reporter to join our newsroom. The ideal candidate should be obsessed with creating content that is relevant to the daily lives of the people who live in Denton County and less concerned with “newspaper of record” journalism as it has been practiced in the past. The Communities Reporter is responsible for helping the DRC stay at the front of readers’ minds by regularly identifying relevant stories about underrepresented communities in our area and quickly producing articles, newsletter content and social media posts that resonate.

We are looking for someone who is versatile, productive, curious and passionate about the non-traditional ways news can be useful for our audience. The ideal candidate will be a confident, competent reporter, with a background in social media and audience and community engagement and be ready to experiment and explore how DRC delivers news to readers.

This position is based out of Denton, is full-time and the typical day will be 1-2 hours outside the standard work hours. Some weekend work is expected, which will be included in the typical 40-hour work week.

This entry-level position welcomes creativity and opportunities for growth and professional development. This position is classified as FLSA non-exempt, is eligible for overtime and reports to the Director of Content.

WHAT YOU'LL DO:

• Report, write and create audience-centered content on trending topics in Denton County, including news, business, things to do, culture, food and drinks, music and art.
• Find creative ways to report on topics that are relevant to Denton County residents, including a focus on underrepresented communities.
• Contribute social media content, such as hosting Instagram Live conversations or shooting video for TikTok or YouTube.
• Engage regularly as a team member with younger and diverse audiences, from in-person events to social and digital media (e.g. X, Instagram livestreams and podcasts) to develop sourcing, identify trends and find story ideas
• Contribute to new product development (e.g. newsletters, social media, podcasts)
• Participate in digital and in-person events to help engage new audiences

As a KERA/DRC employee:

• Participate in broadcast and online fundraising as needed.
• Be an active participant in KERA’s work towards equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. 
• Work in a manner that is consistent with KERA’s mission, vision and values; and maintain compliance with all company policies and procedures.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

This list of job duties is not exhaustive and is subject to regular reviews and updates.
 

Job Requirements:

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL:
We believe a strong organization includes employees from a range of backgrounds, with different skills, experiences and passions. If you do not meet every job qualification but have some of these skills and feel you could be a good fit, we would like to hear from you. Please apply and tell us more about yourself.

• Proven ability to quickly find, write and produce digital content
• Excitement about the future of local news content, delivery and engagement
• Excellent writing and AP Style editing skills
• Strong attention to detail, organization and efficiency
• Enthusiasm for collaboration and working well with others
• Fabulous time management skills
• 1-3 years relevant journalism and/or reporting experience
• Adaptability
• Flexibility

 
BONUS IF YOU BRING:

• Love of the Denton County community and an appreciation for what makes a community feel like home
• Intern or work experience in journalism, communications, social media or brand strategy

• Experience with one or more of the following: audio production; multimedia production, particularly photography or video; hands-on audio editing and innovative audio storytelling; working with one or more content management systems; other relevant technical expertise.
• Working knowledge of Spanish and/or other languages common in Texas.

 
SALARY RANGE
$35,000 - $45,000 annually, depending on experience
 
 BENEFITS

• Generous vacation (3 weeks), sick (8 days), personal time (2 days) and holidays (11)
• Comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance.
• KERA-paid short and long-term disability, basic life insurance and AD&D insurance
• Flexible scheduling and hybrid work environment.
• 401k plan with KERA-contribution eligibility after six months of tenure.
• Company culture focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
• Robust employee assistance program available to the employee and all members of their household.

LOCATION:
We expect that this position will work out of our Denton office a minimum of 20% of the time (one day per week), with office access available anytime for additional in-office work and working remotely otherwise.

HOW TO APPLY:

• Complete the application on KERA’s employment page.
• Attach a resume and optional cover letter summarizing why you are the best fit for the role.

APPLICATION TIMELINE:
Applications generally close 2-4 weeks after posting. The hiring process may continue for a couple of weeks after the closing of the role depending on the number of applicants.
 
KERA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
KERA believes that diversity is important to our success. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, religion, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law.