Land & Environment Reporter/Producer
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Portland
,
OR
Application Deadline: Monday, Aug 28, 2023
Description
Land & Environment Reporter/Producer
Application instructions for this and all current OPB employment opportunities are available at OPB’s careers page.
About OPB
OPB is a leader in public media, serving diverse communities of the Northwest with fact-based, in-depth news and information about politics, the environment, science, arts, history, and cultures; business, education and more. Powered by the generous support of members, OPB seeks out a variety of voices in our communities and lifts up authentic stories of the people, places, events and issues of the region, providing context and a deeper understanding. OPB’s independent journalism and programs are available at opb.org, on OPB Radio and OPB TV. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.
The Opportunity
OPB is hiring a Land and Environment Reporter/Producer to join our newsroom. We’re looking for a skilled reporter with a watchdog approach eager to produce hard news that seeks to inform our region about the role land use and environmental policies and regulation play in exacerbating, curbing and responding to the impacts of climate change. In this beat you’ll cover topics such as environmental regulatory agencies, public land use, and debates over natural resources. We’re looking for a reporter who is skilled in building strong sources, holding those in power accountable and explaining complicated topics in conversational ways.
This position will be part of a robust and growing news department. You’ll work closely with your team, a newly formed four-person group focused on climate reporting, and other reporters and editors whose beats overlap with yours. In this hybrid role, there is ample opportunity to engage with each other during the 2 days a week that content staff are in the office.
Position Details
This Reporter/Producer produces high quality enterprise and breaking news stories for OPB that appear on multiple platforms and consistently meet daily deadlines, as well as ethical, technical, legal and aesthetic standards. This involves daily research, writing, online filing, photography, voicing and production. The bulk of this reporter/producer’s newsgathering efforts will focus on environmental regulations, public lands and natural resource debates in Oregon and Southwest Washington. This reporter will be part of the OPB news department’s climate and environment team.
Responsibilities
80% – The reporter/producer reports, writes and produces breaking and enterprise news stories on multiple platforms, including audio and digital, focused on business and the economy. Other duties include scheduling and conducting interviews and planning future news coverage related to the beat, recording and editing material using digital audio tools, using social media for information gathering and engagement and taking photos.
10% – Participate in local news programming by appearing as a guest on shows like Think Out Loud or being debriefed by an on-air host. Support efforts to include other local voices in OPB’s on-air programming.
5% – Produces reports for national news programs and newscasts, as assigned and with approval of supervising editor.
5% – Other duties as assigned, including participating in fundraising and outreach functions.
Working Conditions
The reporter will divide time between an office/studio and field work as needed for newsgathering, which may include travel to remote locations, working evenings or weekends, and possibly working in inclement weather. Lifting and carrying equipment up to 20 pounds is sometimes required. In-state travel is common, but trips are often short.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Journalism or related field or the equivalent combination of education, training and experience that provides the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities for this position.
- 3 years of journalism experience
- Experience developing and maintaining a beat.
- Enterprise reporting experience.
- Ability to develop and maintain sources.
- Strong writing and interviewing skills.
- Familiarity with photography, audio, video and social media in the presentation of news stories.
- Passion for covering the human impact of environmental regulations and climate change.
- Commitment to high ethical standards in reporting.
- Ability to file live reports and participate in breaking news.
- Enthusiasm for the mission of OPB.
- Enthusiasm for the changing news production environment and the tools and software used to facilitate our work.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in journalism.
- Experience using digital audio recording and editing equipment.
- Experience covering climate change and the environment.
- Bilingual in English and another language.
- An eye for diverse voices and sources in stories.
- Photography or video production skills.
Additional Information
- This position reports to the Climate and Environment Editor and is benefits eligible
- OPB has set a hiring range of $63,000-$73,000 for a candidate that meets the above described qualifications and years of experience. However, OPB wants to review applications from a variety of diverse candidates. So, if you have fewer years of experience or more please allow us to review your materials. If you reach the offer stage, we may write an offer commensurate with your experience.
- For the safety of our employees, the contractors/vendors we work with, and the public we serve, OPB has a mandatory COVID vaccination policy and all employees are required to show proof of vaccination
How to Apply
For application instructions, please visit OPB’s careers page. You will be asked to create an account, upload your cover letter and resume and answer a few position related questions. Once you click “submit” you cannot make changes to your application.
Your application materials are due by 8:59 PM Pacific Time on September 28, 2023
OPB is an Equal Opportunity Employer.