K-12 education reporter

USA TODAY Co.•Indianapolis, IN

1d•Onsite

About The Position

IndyStar, part of the USA TODAY Network, is seeking a veteran watchdog reporter who will authoritatively report on K-12 education in Indianapolis during a time of upheaval. The traditional models for education are swiftly evolving. State funding has been upended. School buildings are at risk of closure. State legislation is removing power from the Indianapolis Public Schools' elected school board. And a new wave of charter schools are entering Central Indiana. Meanwhile, the November general election may serve as the most important election in education as a widespread number of school districts are expected to seek referendums to make up for budget gaps. And for the first time here, the school board elections will be partisan. And parents? They're trying to keep up with the rapid changes — as they also grapple with cell phone bans, new safety plans, culture war battles and seeing their students' schools struggle to retain teachers. That's why the K-12 education reporter is so essential to IndyStar. The ideal candidate would understand how politics and power are shaping the education systems here, but would rely on deep sourcing and a focus on audience to prioritize the most important stories each day. The reporter would join our award-winning government and politics reporting team, where the expectation is that each reporter functions as a watchdog while also covering breaking news and generating scoops. Further, the successful candidate will shine a light on little-watched public committees and oversight boards that play outsized roles in K-12 education here. This reporter will also write IndyStar’s Study Hall weekly newsletter, contribute to IndyStar's Checks and Balances politics newsletter and be regularly featured on the politics team’s videos in the studio and on social media. IndyStar is the winner of three Pulitzer Prizes, most recently in 2021. You’ll work with and learn from some of journalism’s best while living in a vibrant and diverse city in the heart of the Midwest. Our mission is clear: IndyStar informs, empowers and inspires the people of Central Indiana with our journalism. We deliver journalism that is essential to the communities we serve with urgency. We are a people-centered newsroom that’s obsessed with thoughtful experimentation and developing our next generation of industry leaders.

Requirements

Education and government reporting experience
An entrepreneurial approach to growing audience
Ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment
Ability to take photos and record video/audio in the field
Strong sense of journalism ethics and grounding in basics of media law
Commitment to reporting with accuracy and fairness
At least five years of journalism experience

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of Indiana government and politics is preferred

Responsibilities

Authoritatively report on K-12 education in Indianapolis.
Understand how politics and power are shaping education systems.
Rely on deep sourcing and a focus on audience to prioritize stories.
Function as a watchdog, cover breaking news, and generate scoops.
Shine a light on little-watched public committees and oversight boards.
Write IndyStar’s Study Hall weekly newsletter.
Contribute to IndyStar's Checks and Balances politics newsletter.
Be regularly featured on the politics team’s videos in the studio and on social media.
Create vertical video to help tell stories, particularly to IndyStar's growing social media audience.
Work collaboratively with the politics team and the rest of the newsroom.
May need to work an occasional evening or weekend breaking news shift.
Seek out and represent diverse racial, ethnic and economic perspectives.