Sr. Reporter Shale/A&D

Crain Communications•Houston, DC

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

Hart Energy is seeking an experienced, competitive journalist to cover the U.S. shale industry and the mergers, acquisitions, and investment activity shaping North America's upstream oil and gas sector. This reporter will be responsible for delivering exclusive news, insightful analysis, and market-moving intelligence on exploration and production companies, private equity-backed operators, asset transactions, drilling activity, and the strategic decisions driving development across the nation's major shale basins. Coverage will largely focus on the Permian Basin, Eagle Ford, Bakken, Haynesville, Marcellus/Utica, DJ Basin and emerging plays, with an emphasis on the companies, executives, investors, and technologies influencing the future of domestic energy production. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable chasing breaking news, cultivating senior industry sources, analyzing financial and operational data, and producing enterprise stories that help readers understand where the industry is headed next. Hart Energy is a digital-first newsroom. Reporters publish throughout the day, contribute to newsletters and multimedia products, leverage analytics to inform coverage decisions, and collaborate across editorial, events, and audience teams to serve one of the energy industry's most influential professional audiences.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, business, economics, energy studies, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
Five or more years of reporting experience, preferably covering energy, business, finance, or M&A.
Demonstrated ability to break news, cultivate sources, and produce exclusive journalism.
Strong understanding of financial statements, corporate transactions, capital markets, and business strategy.
Ability to interpret and report on SEC filings, investor presentations, earnings reports, and operational data.
Excellent writing, interviewing, and analytical skills.
Ability to manage multiple stories and deadlines in a fast-moving digital newsroom.
Experience using analytics, research databases, and AI-assisted reporting tools to support enterprise journalism.
A track record of producing reporting that combines speed, accuracy, context, and originality.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience covering shale oil and gas, upstream energy, or energy finance.
Knowledge of major U.S. producing basins, E&P companies, drilling and completion practices, and industry economics.
Familiarity with oil and gas reserves reporting, production metrics, and transaction valuation.
Experience covering M&A, private equity, investment banking, or capital markets.
Experience producing newsletters, podcasts, multimedia content, or event-related journalism.
Established source relationships within the energy industry.
Portfolio demonstrating both breaking news performance and deep analytical reporting.

Responsibilities

Break news and develop exclusive reporting on upstream oil and gas companies, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and capital markets activity.
Cover major shale basins and the operators, investors, and service providers active within them.
Track E&P company strategies, drilling programs, production trends, reserve growth, and operational performance.
Monitor SEC filings, investor presentations, earnings calls, regulatory filings, and transaction announcements for story opportunities.
Develop and maintain a robust network of sources among executives, dealmakers, investors, analysts, private equity firms, bankers, attorneys, and industry consultants.
Produce timely breaking news, analytical features, and data-driven enterprise reporting.
Identify emerging trends in consolidation, private capital deployment, infrastructure investment, and technological innovation.
Collaborate with editors, newsletter teams, podcast producers, and event staff to extend coverage across platforms.
Represent Hart Energy at conferences, industry events, panels, webinars, and executive forums.
Use audience analytics and digital publishing tools to optimize story performance and reader engagement.