Enterprise reporter| Fort Worth Star-Telegram

I currently work here. Happy to answer any questions.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is seeking a versatile sports reporter who is equally adept at writing enterprise, accountability, breaking news and trending stories that will resonate with readers.

The job requires a nimble reporter who may write an enterprise story from TCU practice one day, analyze a Texas Rangers trade the next, and follow that with an accountability story about a safety issue in high school football. This reporter must recognize and seize upon opportunities that will bring depth, context and edge to the Star-Telegram’s entire sports report.

You’ll be part of an agile reporting team that also covers the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Christian University Horned Frogs and other high school, college and professional teams in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

The reporter’s goal: increasing the Star-Telegram’s digital audience through stories that have impact and can't be found elsewhere in a crowded media marketplace.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Produce daily content that resonates with our readership.
• Flexible to handle assignments on multiple beats each week (and sometimes each day).
• Find enterprise stories from across all sports that make for a deeper read and use storytelling techniques to engage readers.
• Work collaboratively as part of a team with other reporters and editors, with the flexibility and sports IQ to contribute deep enterprise reporting beyond the usual daily.
• Report breaking news as it happens – be fast and first, without sacrificing accuracy and clarity.
• Be a leader in social media – both as a news-gathering tool, and as a way to push the news out quickly and build our audience and engagement, as well as your own brand.
• Write analytically for the sports fans, explaining to them what a trade, a signing or firing means to their fandom.
• Proactively look for opportunities to tap into trending topics as they relate to the teams in our area.
• Bring your own story ideas to the table, and be ready to take assignments as well.
• Understand your audience metrics – which of your stories are resonating with readers, and which are not? Working with your editor, regularly mine this data for takeaways about how we can build and engage our audience.
• Shoot and produce basic videos and photos to complement your stories.

Skills:

• Strong reporting skills, including asking smart, persistent questions.
• Speed with breaking news. Push out the news quickly and accurately.
• Ability to develop strong sources on a competitive beat.
• Flexibility to juggle multiple stories and priorities.
• Ability to shift priorities in a flash, as the news dictates.
• Ability to work independently, drawing on solid news judgment, while maintaining timely communication with editors.
• Demonstrated mastery of social media – as a reporting tool and as a way to push out news, build and engage our audience and enhance your own brand.
• Exceptional track record with accuracy – built on strong work habits geared toward double-checking facts, names and figures.
• Ability to produce clean, clear, concise copy every time.
• Strong skills as a collaborator, able to work constructively with editors and reporting colleagues in a deadline-driven environment.

Preferred:

Two years of experience in sports journalism with a range of expertise in relevant beat
work and feature/enterprise reporting and a degree in journalism or related field.

McClatchy is looking for Sports Reporter.