Reporter, Milwaukee neighborhoods reporting initiative

Reporter, Milwaukee neighborhoods reporting initiative

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is seeking three community-focused and public-service driven reporters for our new neighborhoods initiative, a grant-funded pilot project launching in early 2025. If you're looking for a reporting position that gives you an opportunity to make a huge impact in a Milwaukee neighborhood and be part of a ground-breaking effort in local journalism, read on.

With unprecedented grant support from major foundations in the community, this effort will launch in three Milwaukee neighborhoods.The reporters will be part of a team that will pioneer a listen-first approach with a goal of elevating neighborhood voices by positioning journalists as helper figures who will inform and empower residents, amplify their voices and explore solutions to the problems they see.

The team will include an editor and photojournalist. Our aim is to add an engagement specialist as additional grant funding becomes available. While reporters will spend most of their time inside neighborhoods, they will have the collaboration and support of the Journal Sentinel's award-winning newsroom to help elevate and scale stories.

We are looking for journalists with the ability to work comfortably in diverse communities and for whom no story is too small and no obstacle too big when it comes to connecting with residents and delivering vital information to them.

Being part of this three-year pilot project will require a journalist who relishes the opportunity to innovate, experiment and be deeply embedded in a neighborhood. If you don't have every skill listed, please don't rule yourself out - let's talk about whether you would be the right fit.

Responsibilities:

• Tell stories that meet deadlines in formats determined to best meet reader needs, such as newsletters, texts, social media posts, etc.
• Schedule regular office hours across neighborhood locations and attend listening sessions organized by neighborhood team editor.
• Attend a broad-range of neighborhood and community events.
• Foster open, transparent and on-going communication with neighborhood residents and leaders.
• Work collaboratively within the newsroom and community, putting a premium on teamwork and problem-solving.
• Help identify and execute a strategy to deliver content to neighbors.This could range from utilizing newsletters and commonly used apps to traditional flyers.
• Assist neighborhood residents in connecting with opportunities to contribute opinion pieces or take part in events, with a constant aim of elevating community voices in multiple ways and formats.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in communications, journalism, or related field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• A minimum of 2-to-3 years of reporting experience, or at a community-based organization, preferably in a media, writing or information-based role. While journalism is at the heart of this project, all relevant experience doesn't have to come from a news organization. We encourage individuals with relevant experience in neighborhood service organizations or community convening roles to apply.
• Ability to prioritize work and meet demanding deadlines.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in social media and multi-media tools (text, photo, audio, video). The reporter will need to use a variety of tools and techniques to reach residents.
• Experience or aptitude using customer or user feedback in new content creation, better user experiences or answering frequently asked questions.
• Comfort frequently working outside of the office in neighborhood locations with a variety of diverse stakeholders and personalities.

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:

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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