Auburn University beat report | AL.com

We will move quickly to fill this position so please send me your resume, links and whatever else you believe makes you the person for this role with the subject as: Auburn beat reporter

I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you for considering us.

Izzy Gould
igould@advancelocal.com

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AUBURN BEAT REPORTER

Expand your journalism experience by leveraging your breaking news and digital skills in a dynamic work environment with Alabama’s largest news organization. As an Auburn beat reporter, you will help us own coverage of Auburn athletics with a focus on football and breaking news for AL.com, the Birmingham News, Mobile Press-Register and Huntsville Times by joining our award-winning sports staff.

Alabama Media Group is a digitally-focused news organization encompassing all content, marketing and sales operations for AL.com and our three newspapers across the state. By bringing together the quality journalism and in-depth coverage of newspapers with the up-to-the-minute information of AL.com, we are ensuring the communities we serve have 24/7 access to what's happening locally and around the world.

THE REQUIREMENTS
To be a good fit for this opportunity, you will have:

• A bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications or a related field, or equivalent experience
• 1-2 years of journalism experience with a proven ability in breaking news of significance
• An understanding of how to access and use public records for breaking news stories
• Proven experience building, maintaining and engaging an active audience through various platforms
• Mastery of social media and digital interaction with audience for reporting and promoting stories
• Eager to work under deadline pressure and prioritize tasks appropriately
• A solid understanding of news writing, journalistic ethics and story structure
• Experience with search engine optimization practices
• Experience taking photos, recording audio and shooting video with the ability to edit
• An understanding of the methods and tools used to deliver content across a variety of digital platforms, and an understanding of the imperatives of multiple platforms, including print, web, mobile, social media, etc.
• A proven ability to utilize a broad set of tools to tell stories and engage the audience
• The ability and desire to remain abreast of industry advances and to proactively consider new methods of reaching audiences including engaging, interactive and optimized product offerings

THE ROLE
You will have Auburn beat reporting responsibilities as part of a two-person team, so versatility and the ability to write authoritatively about multiple sports is key. Your normal work hours may be on the early shift, nights or weekends, so you'll need to have the flexibility to cover what is needed.

In addition to traditional breaking news and feature reporting, your role will include monitoring coverage and analysis on other sports news outlets and aggregating relevant reporting onto our site. You will also monitor reader response through audience data, comment streams, and social media reaction while engaging with readers on all platforms.

Ours is a digitally focused, multimedia newsroom; on any given day you may find yourself writing a long-form narrative or a series of incremental updates to a breaking sports report; recording and editing topical video or podcast audio; shooting and editing photos and building online galleries; interacting with readers in live chats or social media comment streams; and optimizing your post for a social or search-driven audience in a Content Management System.

Note: this description is intended to give you a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive listing of duties and responsibilities.

KEYS TO SUCCESS
To excel in this role, you will be a driven, dynamic reporter and writer with the ability to deliver a high volume of content every day. You should be able to proactively identify stories that are trending and respond quickly, keeping the quality of content consistent and engaging. You'll need to be able to succeed in a collaborative environment while also possessing the ability to work independently.

You'll need to have a demonstrated digital background and to feel at home in the digital world. Because we are an online, daily operation, you will also need to be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment. You should be someone who excels and thrives under pressure and can produce quality work regardless of the deadline you're under.

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Update on this one? And, no, they aren't happy to answer questions.

 

Don't see an announcement, but looks like Tom Green got the position. Twitter: Tom Green (@Tomas_Verde) | Twitter

 

Fake news. We are happy to answer questions. Tom Green already was a reporter with us. We have hired Giana Han to cover Auburn alongside Tom. She starts Sept. 4. Thanks to all who applied. I did my best to respond to almost every applicant -- we had roughly 100 -- did phone interviews with a handful of you and interviewed three finalist in person.