DALLAS COUNTY ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTER
KERA
Dallas
,
TX
Application Deadline: Friday, Sep 29, 2023
Description
DALLAS COUNTY ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTER
KERA is hiring a creative, enterprising Dallas County Accountability Reporter dedicated to high-impact journalism.
WHO WE ARE:
KERA reaches more than 2 million people weekly through KERA TV, KERA News, KXT, WRR and KERA Arts. For more than 60 years, North Texans have turned to KERA as a destination for trusted educational programming and initiatives, community engagement and lifelong learning.
As we seek to recognize and reflect the increasing diversity among our audiences, we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and with diverse perspectives to consider employment opportunities at KERA.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Dallas County Accountability Reporter is a full-time position that is part of KERA’s growing newsroom. This reporter will join KERA’s government accountability reporting team, reporting to the Government Accountability Editor.
The team dives deep into public policy and governing, with a focus on holding local and regional officials accountable for the decisions they make and the money they control. The team’s coverage focuses on government officials and institutions in North Texas and ranges from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative projects and series.
The ideal candidate knows how to help listeners and readers understand what can be very dry and impenetrable topics. Coverage should concentrate on getting beyond process and focus on how people are affected. We’re looking for high-impact stories on the decisions made by county commissioners and what goes on in the criminal justice system, including the county jail, local courts and the sheriff’s department. The coverage also might include stories about how the county hospital and the county health department serve the community. We are looking for a creative storyteller who is audience-centered and able to tell stories using data.
This is an FLSA classified non-exempt position and is eligible for overtime.
WHAT YOU’LL DO:
- Craft stories that are accurate, fair, meticulously reported and produced, and provide context for our audiences.
- Focus on accountability journalism by using data and public records to find, inform and tell stories for digital, broadcast and social platforms – both spot and feature-length.
- Participate in recorded and live 2-ways with sources and other journalists
- Develop, maintain and track a broad range of sources representing the diverse North Texas community.
● Use social media as a news-gathering tool, to help shape and promote coverage and build our audience and relationships.
● Think creatively with the audience team about the best ways to present, publish and tell these stories and engage audiences with the content.
● Collaborate proactively with The Texas Newsroom and other local, regional and national partnerships.
● Engage with the public and participate in digital and in-person events.
● Foster a collaborative and inclusive culture in the newsroom, contribute compelling story ideas and experiment with innovative storytelling techniques.
● Participate in fundraising and engagement activities as assigned.
● Participate in extensive training opportunities in the newsroom, in departments across KERA and across the state with The Texas Newsroom.
● Work closely with KERA’s Collaborative partners: The Texas Newsroom, Fort Worth Report and others.
As a KERA employee:
● Be an active participant in KERA’s work towards equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.
● Work in a manner that is consistent with KERA’s mission, vision and values; and maintain compliance with all company policies and procedures
● Perform additional duties as assigned.
This list of job duties is not exhaustive and is subject to regular reviews and updates.
WHAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL:
We believe a strong organization includes employees from a range of backgrounds, with different skills, experience and passions. If you don’t meet every job qualification but have some of these skills and think you’re the right person for the job, we’d like to hear from you. Please apply and tell us more about yourself.
● A minimum of 3 years in journalism or relevant experience.
● Proven ability to quickly write, voice and produce radio and/or digital stories.
● Passionate and enthusiastic about public media journalism and serving a diverse North Texas audience.
● Demonstrated commitment to diversity in reporting and sourcing.
● Solid knowledge of Associated Press style, ability to exercise sound news judgment and follow KERA/NPR ethics and editorial standards.
BONUS IF YOU BRING:
● Experience with one or more of the following: digital and/or audio production; multimedia production, particularly photography or video; hands-on audio editing and innovative audio storytelling; working with one or more content management systems; other relevant technical expertise.
● Knowledge of: FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) process, computer-assisted reporting, and data-driven reporting along with familiarity of legal issues related to investigative news reporting.
● Knowledge of North Texas people, cultures, issues and geography as well as national and international issues and events.
● Working knowledge of Spanish and/or other languages common in Texas.
SALARY RANGE
$58,000-$68,000 annually, depending on experience
BENEFITS
- Generous vacation (3 weeks), sick (8 days), personal time (2 days) and holidays (10)
- Comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance
- KERA-paid short and long-term disability, basic life insurance and AD&D insurance
- Flexible scheduling and hybrid work environment
- 403b plan with KERA-match after 1 year
- Culture intentionally focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
- Robust employee assistance program available to the employee and all members of their household
LOCATION
We expect that this position will work out of the Dallas or Fort Worth Report office at least 25% of the time.
HOW TO APPLY
Complete the application on KERA’s employment page and attach a resume and cover letter and links to recent audio/digital work samples.
KERA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
KERA believes that diversity is important to our success. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, religion, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law.