Burlington, VT, USA Req #39523

　　Friday, October 6, 2023

　　Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a subscription-led and digitally-focused media and marketing solutions company committed to empowering communities to thrive. With an unmatched reach at the national and local level, Gannett touches the lives of millions with our Pulitzer Prize-winning content, consumer experiences and benefits, and advertiser products and services.

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　　The Burlington Free Press, a digital-first newsroom and a part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is seeking an experienced, nimble, versatile reporter to cover the city of Burlington.

　　This is no traditional City Hall beat covering city council meetings, or your typical cops and crimes beat. This is an issues-based beat with a focus on the impact on the people who live in, work in and visit Vermont's largest city.

　　This reporterwould be responsible for breaking news, features, and analysis, as well as daily stories.

　　The successful candidate will be a storyteller who can develop sources who lead to insightful stories and impactful investigations. The reporter taking on this beat will need to balance daily stories with enterprise and watchdog work.

　　Our target audiences, increasingly diverse, benefit from relevant and compelling reporting. Being inclusive in our sourcing and in our consideration of the impact of government activity is a vital part of this reporter's mission. The focus of the beat is the city of Burlington, including public safety through the lens of the impact of their action on city residents. This position is based out of the Free Press newsroom in Williston, Vt.

　　Located on the scenic shores of Lake Champlain, Burlington is the economic and cultural center of Vermont. The state's largest city is home to several colleges, including the University of Vermont, UVM Medical Center, the state's largest employer, as well as tech companies such as chip fabricator GlobalFoundries and electric aircraft start-up Beta Technologies. The Burlington area boasts a robust arts and music scene. It is home to nationally recognized restaurants and craft breweries. Home to a quarter of the state's population, Burlington, and Chittenden County, often drives the agenda in the Statehouse.

　　Yet in some ways, Vermont's Queen City is very much apart from Vermont, the closest thing we have to an urban center in a vastly rural state, where Vermonters are likely to see many of the issues confronting larger city across the state - think homelessness, the latest manifestation of the drug-use crisis and crime.

　　The ideal candidate will be comfortable pursuing big stories on their own, but also open to executing ideas from others in the newsroom. In a newsroom of our size, the versatility to write about multiple topics is important.

　　Job Details: This reporter focuses on how city government shapes and changes communities and lives, including but not li mited to matters of public health, public safety, good governance, public spending and taxes and economic-development strategies and investment. Such reporting empowers state residents to navigate their lives and to raise questions about the effectiveness of state leaders. This reporter will be committed to increasing the Free Press' reach in underserved communities through relationship-building and different delivery methods for our content. Becoming more trusted and more reflective of the affected communities through inclusion of neighborhood voices and through authenticity in storytelling is a crucial aspect of this coverage. This job generates th e content the organization needs to build digital readership and subscriptions and to be perceived as a reliable and relevant source of reporting on the impact of state government reporting. Typical Job Duties: Researches, reports, writes, and helps create compelling text and multimedia journalism about how Burlington city government and public safety issues touch people's lives. Provides thoughtful analysis of complex issues that answers the "how" and "why" questions regarding government actions and their impact. Pays special attention to the issues and trending topics impacting diverse segments of Burlington's population. Displays cultural competency in navigating coverage. Works with Free Press editors to shape storytelling to meet audience needs and interests on every platform. Develops relationships with sources in Burlington and surrounding communities, as well as relevant state agencies and NGOs, including diverse officials, residents and experts, to provide unique insight into the impact of city government decisions and actions on readers and communities. Makes it a mission to inform and engage readers through immediacy, enterprise reporting and riveting storytelling. Acts as a public ambassador through social media, video presentations and some community outreach. Collaborates with editors and digital producers to provide all the appropriate elements for stories (i.e.: photos, videos and graphics). Captures basic photos and videos as needed. Uses independent judgment in day-to-day activities; demonstrated success in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining solutions. Normally receives instructions on routine work, detailed instruction on new projects and assignments. Recognizes newsworthy events and trends and understands how to connect with our audience on multiple platforms. Understands the standards and ethics around newsgathering and can execute most of its primary forms at a commendable level, including source interviews, use of public records, data analysis and primary and secondary source research. Has developed enough topical knowledge to provide thoughtful analysis of complex issues. Understands good storytelling and successfully develops ideas. Can write news stories and more complex enterprise pieces with minimal guidance. Can execute special projects by working closely with editors. Knowledge and Skills: Journalist committed to values of fairness, diversity, equity, inclusion, and professionalism Social media skills and some video production knowledge required. Data reporting knowledge and experience helpful. Database skills/Microsoft Excel skills preferred. (Data training will be part of successful candidate's onboarding steps.) Exceptional core journalism skills, particularly reporting and writing. Deep understanding of the questions the audience seeks answers to in our journalism. Self-motivation and self-direction. Effective communicator; able to get along with diverse personalities. Able to multi-task and excel under intense deadline pressure in a rapidly changing environment. Knows how to use time effectively in an always-on workday. Works collaboratively within a cross-functional environment. Must embrace peer-to-peer feedback and training. Applies innovative, creative thinking to support the company's goals. Driver's license and reliable transportation. Required Work Experience, Training, and Education: Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism or related field, or equivalent combination of experience and education 3-5 years of reporting experience, which could include freelancing, internships and college publication work. We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don't limit your upload to a resume; show us what you've done. To do so, put together a single file that includes the following, in this order: Your resume - one to two pages. A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job. Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you've produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role. It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.

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