Breaking News & Community Reporter
The Pulitzer Prize-winning Press Democrat -- the voice of California’s Sonoma and Napa counties, and the North Bay -- seeks a curious, hard-charging reporter to work afternoons and evenings on our breaking and community news desk. The ideal “Go Team” candidate will have a proven track record of
writing clearly, quickly, and concisely, while also showing an ability to turn “the story of the day” into a longer read by day’s end and maybe even an enterprise piece a few days down the road, depending on the subject matter. Public safety reporting is a big part of the job, but there’s a community reporting component to it, too. On a given shift, this reporter might write a weather story, a short crime story and then head off to cover a municipal government or school board meeting.
Responsibilities:
The ideal journalist for this role will . . .
• Be a “go anywhere, do anything” reporter who can churn out copy quickly. This includes posting a paragraph or two in breaking-news situations and then updating stories over time. On some shifts, a Go Team reporter might write three to five short stories. On others, it might be coverage of one developing news event.
• Write stories of varying lengths, including “alternative story formats” that answer readers’ questions and provide quicker takes on sometimes complicated topics.
• Have the ability to provide all elements for a breaking news story, e.g. text, photos, and video.
• Be a team player who takes direction well and works collaboratively with editors, reporters, photographers and The Press Democrat audience team to
tell stories that attract readers and retain subscribers.
• Have some experience covering municipal government and/or school board meetings, with an eye toward writing meeting stories that tell community members how government decisions impact them and their families.
• Promote their stories from their own social media feeds, as well as the stories of their colleagues.
• Make every effort to cover all sides of the story -- and report in a manner that keeps professionalism, diversity, equity, and inclusion top of mind.
Qualifications:
• College degree in journalism or an applicable field.
• At least two years’ reporting experience, with internships being counted toward those two years.
• Ability to write with clarity and authority in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in AP style and grammar.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends. Besides evening shifts (12:30-9 p.m.), this role will include a Saturday shift that starts at 10 a.m. and, depending on the news cycle, might require the reporter to be paid overtime
• Ability to use one’s automobile to cover assignments, valid CA driver’s license, etc.
• Residency within the Greater North Bay, preferably Sonoma County.
• Ability to speak Spanish preferred (but not required).
Sonoma Media Investment values the contribution of our employees and offers a competitive compensation plan. We also offer an array of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, 401K and Paid Time Off. Any job offer is conditional upon satisfactorily completing a pre-employment background investigation.
The pay scale is $27.26 - $33.81 per hour, depending on years of experience, as outlined in the Pacific Media Workers Guild Contract.
To be considered, apply on our company career page at www.sonomamediainvestments.com/jobs and please submit a cover letter, resume and links to -- or PDFs of -- four to six samples of your journalism. This not only can be conventional stories, but photos, videos and other pieces of journalism. Show us your range of reporting.
About The Press Democrat
The Press Democrat is the flagship of Sonoma Media Investments, a locally owned and debt-free media company with more than 80 journalists across seven publications. This position is based in Napa County, California, in the heart of California’s Wine Country. Sonoma Media Investments is an Equal Opportunity Employer
