City Watchdog and Development Reporter

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The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com, a 2018 Pulitzer Prize winner and part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is seeking a reporter to join its newsroom to cover local news, issues and development in metro Phoenix.
We’re looking for a creative and ambitious journalist who demonstrates the skills and empathy to make people and issues come alive.
Our ideal candidate delivers aggressive, forward-looking work that breaks news in local communities, holds public officials to account for their actions and highlights disparities that affect quality of life.
This candidate is a collaborative team player who has the news judgment and vision to shift old narratives, craft a coverage focus and find new ways to engage with our audiences.
The successful candidate must excel at developing professional contacts to gather information. The reporter must show a keen eye for development issues and important details found in public records. The reporter must consistently – and persistently – dig below the surface and write with clarity and uncommon skill.
This is not a job where the reporter recounts what happened “at council” today. It is a job where the reporter will identify trends and hot topics, pivot between different topics and consistently produce content that resonates with our current readers and helps us grow our audience, especially within underserved communities. The reporter must be attuned to political trends, alliances and influence in polarizing times and deliver coverage that holds public officials accountable and helps readers make informed decisions about their community.
The reporter’s work must spark conversations and action on important issues. The reporter must work collaboratively and effectively in a team environment and always demonstrate an awareness of and adherence to the highest journalistic ethical standards.
Responsibilities:
• Uses source development, data and document reporting and strategic thinking to identify key issues.
• Offers independent, innovative thinking in shaping coverage of those issues.
• Communicates frequently with the editor to set priorities and deadlines.
• Follows disciplined approach to deliver high-impact work on multiple platforms.
• Uses metrics to gauge audience interests and works to develop coverage plans to better satisfy audience needs.
• Demonstrates clear concise writing skills with strong nut graphs and “why this is important to me” content.
• Strategizes and executes distribution and optimization plans for all content.
• Provides great customer service, helping readers find answers and solutions.
• Develops trusted reputation in niche coverage area.
Requirements:
• Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of two years of reporting experience.
• Strong command of AP grammar and style.
• Strong copy-editing skills and the ability to produce content that is clean, accurate and "publication ready."
• Is passionate and enthusiastic about news and content that will work well with audiences on social platforms.
• Is comfortable using social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to enhance reporting and promote stories.
• Understands reporting ethics and sourcing.
• Excels in a fast-paced news environment and understands the digital fi