Business Reporter
About the role
You will join the Santa Barbara News-Press as a dedicated business reporter, covering the companies, organizations, industries, workers, entrepreneurs, real estate trends, and economic forces shaping Santa Barbara County, with a primary focus on the South Coast communities of Goleta, Santa Barbara, Montecito, Summerland and Carpinteria.
Responsibilities
- Report and write
- Develop and report original stories through on-the-ground reporting
- Write clear, accurate, well-structured stories on deadline
- File breaking news quickly while maintaining accuracy and fairness
- Develop long-form, investigative and explanatory features
- Work across formats
- Contribute through written text and photos
- Sell short-form vertical video for social-first stories
- Present at periodic in-person News-Press events focusing on business topics
- Collaborate in a modern newsroom
- Contribute ideas and participate in story meetings
- Be open to feedback and committed to continuous improvement
- Occasionally cover general assignment stories or breaking news as needed
Requirements
- A minimum of three years of professional reporting experience in Business topics
- Excellent reporting and writing skills
- Proficiency in understanding, analyzing, and presenting data in an understandable way
- Experience and comfort publishing stories in short-form vertical video format
- A degree in journalism or college-level journalism coursework
Qualifications
- A minimum of five years professional reporting experience and/or academic background in Business-related disciplines
- Familiarity with digital publishing workflows
- Spanish language speaking and writing skills
Skills
- Ability to move quickly on business news
- Comfort covering small and large businesses, commercial real estate, tourism and hospitality, restaurants and retail, technology and startups, agriculture and wine, labor and workforce issues, economic development, housing and development, public-private partnerships, local government decisions affecting business, and the broader cost pressures facing employers, workers and consumers
- Experience covering breaking news, daily and weekly beat stories, enterprise reporting, narrative features, data journalism, investigations and shoot short-form vertical video for social-first stories
- Comfort spending a significant portion of your time out in the community, on the street and in the field, talking to people
Benefits
- Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) plan with matching employer contribution
- 22 days of vacation time
- 11 holidays, including your birthday
- Parental leave
- Significant tuition reductions
- $30 bi-weekly cell phone reimbursement
Pay
The pay scale for this position ranges from $28.00 - $34.00/hour.
Schedule
This position is fully in-person, excepting that your reporting responsibilities will require you to travel throughout the county and may mean you are not in the office every day. Reporters must have a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle in good working condition, with suitable auto insurance coverage. Occasional night and weekend work is required.