[Hiring] Reporter @MediaNews Group

Role Description

The Orange County Register is seeking an experienced reporter to join our local news team full-time to cover key cities and other important topics in the area. This reporter should be aggressive and resourceful while serving as a watchdog, keeping an eye on public officials and county/city developments. We're looking for a journalist with the ability to produce strong enterprise and breaking news for digital and print platforms.

• Be versatile, as stories will cover a variety of topics
• Write on deadline in a fast-paced environment
• Take your own photos
• Produce assigned stories and pitch original story ideas on a regular basis
• Research and develop stories with the utmost accuracy
• Cultivate sources both in person and via social media
• Understand and use company-provided hardware, software, and cloud-based equipment and systems for company business and tasks
• Discuss stories throughout the process with the assignment editor
• Work with the photo and graphics teams to ensure exploration of all visual ways stories can be told or enhanced
• Collaborate with other local Register reporters in a positive culture of teamwork

Qualifications

• Strong news judgment and a drive to compete
• Ability to write clean, concise copy that draws readers in, including nut graphs and online headlines for SEO
• Skill in cultivating human sources, documents, and data, including a facility for mining public records
• Capacity to juggle multiple stories of varying complexity
• Proficiency in using the web and social media to report and share stories
• Facility with multiple languages is a plus; Spanish, Vietnamese, and Mandarin top the list
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required
• At least two years of professional journalism experience; prior local government reporting experience preferred

Benefits

• The hourly wage is $24.04 + cell phone stipend
• Pay is based on several factors including geographic location, education, work experience, time in role, certifications, etc.
• Eligible employees receive a variety of benefits including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, 401k, paid time off, and select paid holidays
• For more detailed information, please visit: www.mymedianewsgroup.com

Conditions of Employment

• A full pre-employment background check and MVR will be conducted as part of the selection process
• Must be willing to submit and pass the necessary required checks
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and have reliable transportation
• This position entails occasional driving for work assignments, in-person training sessions and/or meetings
• Must be available for shift work; may be required to work various hours for coverage outside of normal business hours