Sports Reporter, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Gannett • Oshkosh, WI

240d

About The Position

Gannett Co., Inc. is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a scalable, growth focused media and digital marketing solutions company. We endeavor to deliver essential content, marketing solutions, and experiences for curated audiences, advertisers, consumers, and stakeholders by leveraging our diverse teams and suite of products to enrich the local communities and businesses we serve. Our current portfolio of trusted media brands includes the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, uses innovation and software to enable small and medium-sized businesses to grow, and USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures, our events division, creates impactful consumer engagements, promotions, and races. The USA TODAY NETWORK is seeking a sports reporter to create impactful stories for our newsrooms in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac in east central Wisconsin. These newspapers report on Winnebago and Fond du Lac counties, an area with nearly 275,000 people and nearly two dozen high schools. The opportunities to report on successful high school athletics - and the sports newsmakers in these communities - are endless. Rivalries bring these communities together, but so do meaningful stories off the field. We need a reporter who can become a part of the area to find the sources to tell them. That includes breaking news, feature stories on teams and athletes, and enterprise reporting. While the focus of this position is on local journalism, these papers also are part of USA TODAY Network's 11 newsrooms across the state --including the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Green Bay Press-Gazette and Post-Crescent in Appleton--and stories can run across the network. Our operation emphasizes collaboration, mentorship and growth. Both located on the shores of Lake Winnebago, these markets are within 90 minutes of Milwaukee and an hour or so from Green Bay. The area offers a host of opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts, and Oshkosh is also home to a Division III university and the Wisconsin Herd, the G-League affiliate of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks. This reporter will need to live in either Fond du Lac or Oshkosh.

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, Twitter, 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 some 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 videos 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: Entry Level
• Industry: Publishing Industries
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree