Sports reporter - The (Salinas) Californian

The USA TODAY Network-Pacific Group is searching for a digital-savvy reporter who researches and reports trending local sports news of the day in Salinas, California aimed at digital platforms and optimized for social networks.

This staff position will be located in Salinas and have the flexibility of working in a modern virtual office environment with both a place to plug in and collaborate and the freedom to work from home or anywhere in the community. The selected candidate produces smart, context-filled stories and other content on tight deadlines and understands the difference in writing for various platforms. This position requires a versatile journalist equally skilled in building and working sources on breaking news stories as well as developing and reporting new angles on trending topics. The stories can be of varied length (from short two-graph trends to longer features) and will often include optimized content with video elements.

Key duties:

• Writes quickly, clearly and accurately.
  
  
• Identifies top news stories of the day, based on analytics and audience potential.
  
  
• Cultivates a beat, knowing the ins/outs of the beat and its key players.
  
  
• Equally adept at writing breaking news stories, enterprise and trending stories and traditional long-form features.
  
  
• Writes and/or produces multimedia content that appeals to key audience targets and maximizes user experience on digital and social platforms.
  
  
• Works closely with graphic, photo and video teams to optimize and produce content.
  
  
• Is comfortable hosting videos, Facebook Live appearances, and podcasts.
  
  
• Engages with readers through various social media platforms.
  
  
• Demonstrates strong news judgment.
  
  
• Writes quick-hit enterprise and trend stories off the news.

The ideal candidate:

• Is passionate and enthusiastic about news and content that will work well with audiences on social platforms.
  
  
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) preferred.
  
  
• Is comfortable using social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to enhance reporting and promote stories.
  
  
• Understands reporting ethics and sourcing.
  
  
• Prefer 2-plus years experience but will consider strong entry-level candidate with clips from professional experience (such as internship).
  
  
• Excels in a fast-paced news environment and understands the digital first mission.
  
  
• Works weekends and nights as needed.
  
  
• Collaborates well with others and can work with a team on the biggest stories.
  
  
• Must be willing to travel on short notice to cover breaking news events.

When applying, please include a variety of clips – no more than six – showing beat reporting and enterprise on different digital platforms.

What we Offer:

As a part of the USA Today Network, the nation's largest media and marketing solutions company, we offer a dynamic, community-focused environment where individuals are rewarded for exceptional performance. We offer competitive salaries and benefits, including health care, dental and vision coverage, flexible spending account, 401(k), paid vacation time, personal and sick leave. Pre-employment drug testing and background screening are required.

To apply: Job opportunity at Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK - Sports reporter

 

Wonder if they are adding or replacing someone (duh, it's Gannett)?

Anyway, ya got a healthy preps scene plus the Salinas Rodeo. Not sure how much they do with the two area jucos, a fairly strong Div. II program at CSU Monterey Bay or the AT&T at Pebble Beach. And ya got a healthy competitor in Digital First's Monterey Herald.

Like I said earlier when the opening came up in Santa Cruz, though, prepare to pay an arm and a leg for housing.