Nashville Public Radio is hiring: Freelancer Reporter, Tucker, GA in Tucker

Overview

Rough Draft Atlanta is seeking a freelance reporter to cover Tucker, GA, including city government, crime, business news, arts, lifestyle, and community events. The reporter will be expected to file between three and four stories per week on a variety of topics specific to Tucker and its residents.

We are looking for a reporter who can cover breaking news, discover and cover human interest stories, keep readers updated on community and governmental activities, and continue to engage with Tucker residents, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government officials to produce impactful and meaningful stories for the community. These stories will appear in print, online, and in email newsletters.

Please send a resume, cover letter, and three to four clips and/or a link to recent examples of your reporting to careers@roughdraftatlanta.com. Do not direct message your application on LinkedIn.

This is a freelance position that will be paid at a competitive per-story rate.

Responsibilities

• Cover Tucker City Council meetings, first and third Mondays at 7 p.m.
• Cover once-monthly meetings of the Downtown Development Authority and Planning Commission, as needed, typically on Tuesday or Thursday nights
• Write about annual/ongoing events (i.e. Taste of Tucker, July 3 celebration, Tucker Days, Tucker Town Green events, art shows, Main Street Theatre)
• Develop stories for the weekly Tucker newsletter, published Fridays at 2 p.m.
• Establish connections with Northlake-Tucker CID and Summit CID for stories of interest about development, etc.
• Cover Tucker Police Precinct virtual meetings, second Tuesday of the month
• Write stories about Tucker-area public and private schools, as needed
• Write enterprise stories on Tucker businesses
• Cover Tucker elections
• Attend weekly Monday morning staff editorial meetings and regular assignment meetings with your editor

Job Requirements

• At least one year of reporting experience, preferably covering a beat. College newspaper experience will be considered.
• Deadline-driven with strong communication, interviewing, and time-management skills
• Strong, clean writing, with the ability to turn stories around quickly and accurately, especially time-sensitive stories and breaking news
• Strong sourcing and source-building skills
• Ability to handle multiple assignments throughout the week
• Ability to regularly cover daytime and evening events, meetings, and interviews in person
• Ability to work independently once assigned stories
• Strong story-pitching skills
• Experience with Open Records Requests (ORR) is a plus
• Experience with WordPress, Mailchimp, and SEO tools is a plus
• Living in or within close proximity to Tucker is a plus