High School Sports Reporter

USA TODAY Co. • Jackson, TN

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Jackson Sun, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is seeking a hard-working and energetic sports reporter to lead its high school sports coverage in Madison County, Tennessee, and surrounding areas. The role requires a dynamic, digitally savvy reporter committed to leading the conversation in a competitive market. The ideal candidate will use reporting skills to find and tell compelling human-interest stories and identify interesting trends for enterprise stories that go beyond game recaps. This position demands multimedia skills and the ability to engage audiences on social media. The reporter must be SEO savvy, capable of identifying high-interest topics using tools like Google Trends, and able to work independently while thriving in collaborative environments. There is a significant opportunity to make a lasting impression in the Jackson, Tennessee community and its surrounding areas. The reporter will need to be proficient in shooting vertical video for game highlights and work closely and collaboratively with the Tennessee high school sports staff across the state. An aggressive pursuit of breaking news in the high school sports world, such as coaching changes and athlete college commitments/signings, will be a focus. Writing on potential trending news will be an important component. Developing relationships with schools, administrators, and coaches will be crucial.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or master’s degree in communications, journalism or related field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Previous reporting experience preferred; even better if you've covered sports.
• Proficiency on social media platforms; including but not limited to Facebook, X, Instagram and Reddit.
• Experience shooting and editing photos and video on a mobile device.
• Strong communication skills, news judgement and headline-writing ability.
• Ability to multitask and excel under intense deadline pressure.
• Ability to work collaboratively and efficiently.
• Strong writing, spelling and grammar skills; familiarity with AP style.
• Ability to work nights and weekends.
• Comfort building a beat and communicating with athletes and coaches.
• This role requires a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.

Responsibilities

• Create storytelling that accurately informs, entertains and engages specific audiences and platforms through the use of metrics.
• Work toward becoming the community’s leading voice of expertise in high school sports.
• Connect with the community through storytelling and outreach (social media, on camera, forums, community leadership, etc.).
• Provide thoughtful analysis of complex issues.
• Work with editor and content strategist to evaluate what's working and what's not and develop ongoing plans to satisfy audience needs.
• Collaborate to provide appropriate elements for stories (i.e. photos, videos and graphics).
• Capture basic photos and video as needed.
• Promote personal brand, the brands of colleagues and the institutional brand.
• Provide great customer service, helping readers find answers and solutions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level