Cache Valley Reporter at The Salt Lake Tribune Inc

Description

Cache Valley is a rapidly growing slice of Utah that is home to 140,000 people and the state's land grant university, Utah State. It is surrounded by rugged mountains, boasts unparalleled outdoor access and is a short drive from "the Caribbean of the Rockies," Bear Lake. Like many places in Utah, growth is fueling changes. What were once agricultural fields are becoming housing developments. Major companies call this valley home. Cutting-edge aerospace research that is rooted here drives scientific advancement.

Cache Valley's location away from the Wasatch Front gives it a distinct identity, and its residents are hungry for news. The Salt Lake Tribune and Utah Public Radio are searching for a journalist who will fill this need.

Successful candidates will bring a curiosity to what’s happening in municipal and county government, as well as an eye for stories about environmental issues, business and economic trends (including those in manufacturing and agriculture industries), arts and culture, Utah State University and K-12 education, transportation needs and initiatives, tourism and healthcare availability. There is no shortage of stories, and as a reporter, you will gain experience across a multitude of issues and topics.

Your reporting will be published at sltrib.com as well as in print, and on Utah Public Radio, or UPR - and could appear on National Public Radio. This means you’ll have experience in daily reporting, breaking news and enterprise stories, and the ability to record interviews and craft an effective audio story. You will report to Tribune and UPR editors throughout the story ideation and editing process, then adapt your work to create an engaging script that you will voice and produce for radio.

We will publish accountability reporting, a hallmark of The Tribune, as well as high-utility stories and explanatory efforts.

The reader and listener are at the center of our reporting. You will work closely with your Tribune and UPR editors to build a reporting plan that ensures relevant storytelling and reasonable expectations, as we recognize there are more stories to share than hours in the week. UPR will invest in the development of your audio journalism skills.

This reporting role is based in Logan, Utah, and you’ll work out of Utah Public Radio’s headquarters on USU’s campus. You will be employed by The Salt Lake Tribune and will be eligible for Tribune benefits.

Benefits

• Health, Dental & Vision
• 401(k) with Employer Matching
• Employer-Paid Basic Life Insurance & Short- and Long-Term Disability
• Cellphone Stipend
• Flexible Work Hours
• Paid Time Off & Sick Leave
• Paid Parental Leave
• Mileage Reimbursement
• Qualifying SL Tribune employees are eligible for public service loan forgiveness on federal student loans

Requirements

Required Skills & Experience

• Experience developing a beat and a roster of sources.
• A strong record of accountability reporting and the ability to break news.
• Keen grammar, spelling and punctuation skills while keeping in mind fairness, accuracy, ethics and completeness - and always avoiding sensationalism.
• In-depth knowledge of Associated Press style and self-editing skills that allow you to file clean copy in print and audio formats. 
• A strong dedication to diversity in storytelling.
• Self-guided in terms of understanding what sources you’ll need to find and develop to tell compelling stories that inform readers in and out of the Cache Valley on the issues that impact them most.
• Ability to work under deadline pressure. Proven ability to quickly find and turn breaking news, while balancing stories that hold elected officials and those in power to account.
• Understanding of the power of SEO and social media to reach and grow an audience.
• A professional social media presence, devoid of partisanship.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Experience writing and sharing journalism in audio and digital mediums.
• Understanding of and experience with recording equipment and audio editing software.
• Experience shooting video.
• Photography experience.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish).

How to Apply

When submitting your application, please provide a cover letter, resume and three writing samples of your best work. Please also include links to two samples of audio-based work, if available.