Mountain View Voice Staff Writer

Embarcadero Media Foundation•Palo Alto, CA

9h•Onsite

About The Position

Embarcadero Media seeks a versatile, digital-first journalist based in the Bay Area to work as an education and general assignment reporter at the Mountain View Voice. The ideal candidate will understand the dynamics and demographics of Mountain View and the San Francisco Peninsula and have solid reporting, newsgathering and writing skills as well as good instincts about what makes a story compelling. They will be able to work under tight deadlines to produce fast-paced daily stories, while also setting aside time to report longer enterprise pieces that require more digging. The Mountain View Voice is a reader-supported, all-digital publication that has been providing the community with award-winning independent local news for over 30 years. It is part of Embarcadero Media Foundation, a Palo Alto-based nonprofit news organization that operates three other news outlets on the Peninsula (Palo Alto Online, The Almanac and Redwood City Pulse) and three more in the East Bay. We actively listen and engage with our readers online, as well as through events and forums. Our goal is to spotlight the issues facing diverse segments of our community and to be a catalyst for greater civic engagement. The primary beat is education in the Mountain View area, as well as coverage of general assignment stories in our community. The reporter will comprehensively report on local schools, producing stories that combine hard news and data reporting with human interest storytelling. As much as possible, this beat focuses on people, impacts and implications rather than simply on the actions of institutions. This reporter will also work closely with the Voice's city beat reporter to split coverage of general assignment stories on topics including transportation, health, environment, crime, technology and business. At times, reporting will require investigative effort, including the filing of Public Records Act requests. It will be important for the reporter to develop a broad range of sources and pitch story ideas that will resonate with our community members. The reporter will work with staff across Embarcadero Media's award-winning Peninsula editorial team, as well as with our audience engagement and marketing teams. The work may be featured across Embarcadero's publications.

Requirements

Previous professional reporting experience
Strong writing, reporting and interviewing skills
A working knowledge of AP Style
Comfort filing PRA requests and pursuing public records
Strong organizational skills and a proactive attitude
Demonstrated interest in local journalism

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree or higher in journalism or related field
Spanish fluency
Experience with WordPress
Knowledge of Mountain View and the surrounding area
Experience with education reporting
Knowledge and proficiency with data reporting

Responsibilities

Report and write daily news, while also balancing longer-form enterprise stories
Pitch stories that will inform and engage local residents
Cover school board meetings, other public meetings and community events
File stories on deadline for our daily Express newsletter
Develop and maintain productive source relationships
Occasionally contribute to podcasts, live events, and video or multimedia storytelling
Collaborate with other reporters, editors and visual journalists
Engage readers through social media and respond to community feedback
Occasionally assist with events, community forums and other outreach activities
Be available for some weekend and night work, including occasional weekend shifts monitoring breaking news in our coverage area
Take photos and videos as necessary