Gannett is hiring: Children & Education Reporter in Jackson

Overview

Children & Education Reporter at The Clarion-Ledger / clarionledger.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is seeking a reporter to cover the unprecedented challenges facing K-12 education in Mississippi. This beat explores inequities through short-term and longer-term reporting, including explanatory pieces, watchdog reporting, and storytelling that benefits families and the broader community.

This beat starts with K-12 education but should be considered broader and approached in a fundamentally different way. Topics include young families, children’s socio-economic well-being, health care access, internships and jobs, drug abuse, obesity, food deserts, high-achieving students, third-grade reading achievement, dropout and graduation rates, rural issues, arts education access, internet access, teacher development and quality, safety, and anything that impacts the well-being of Mississippians’ children and their futures.

The role should move away from day-to-day coverage of school boards, superintendents and district employees unless warranted. Focus on shorter enterprise with a mobile-first approach, highlighting trends and providing accountability. Video should be top of mind and filed with nearly every story. The journalist should regularly file weekend enterprise stories and complete about one in-depth project per quarter. There is potential for occasional cross-region collaboration with other Children & Education reporters in the south region.

The ideal candidate has demonstrated the ability to tailor storytelling to social, video and digital platforms. A track record of covering these issues regularly and a portfolio reflecting deep reporting and strong storytelling is required.

Responsibilities

• Research, report, write and help create compelling text and multimedia journalism that informs families and the broader community about how well teachers, coaches, caretakers and policymakers educate and support the development of Mississippi’s children and young adults.
• Report on child protection issues, including violence, drugs, technology, and mental health in collaboration with investigations and enterprise teams or other newsroom units.
• Engage readers through breaking news, mobile-friendly explainers, live chats, non-traditional story forms, watchdog reporting and narratives; consider how each story delivers benefits to target audiences from the outset.
• Use data, records and source development to provide deep, thoughtful analysis of complex issues.
• Act as a public ambassador through community outreach and connect with influencers and readers via social media.
• Utilize multiple and appropriate social media channels to enhance reporting and promote stories.
• Collaborate with other education reporters in the network as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing or related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least three years of reporting experience at a news organization.
• Advanced knowledge of social media and customer feedback tools, and ability to engage audiences on digital platforms.
• Deep understanding of competition for our audience’s time and money.
• Proficiency on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Reddit.
• Energetic self-starter and fast thinker who can spot stories that matter.
• Experience shooting and editing photos and video on an iPhone.
• Strong communication, news judgment and headline-writing skills; familiarity with AP style.
• Ability to multitask and work under tight deadlines; collaborative work ethic.
• Knowledge of media law and ethical principles.
• Early start to the day and occasional weekend work required.
• Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and minimum state-required liability insurance.
• Employment is contingent on passing a post-offer background check and drug screen (driving roles only).

How to Apply

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, include the following in a single PDF document:

• Your resume (one to two pages).
• A cover letter outlining how you would approach the job.
• Links to 3–6 online samples of your work showing relevant production and storytelling.

These items should be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format to ensure the strongest consideration.