Posted On: October 6, 2022

Journalism Job

Media Organization: Connecticut Public (WNPR)

Company Description

Connecticut Public is Connecticut’s only state-wide, community-supported public media service. We are a member station of national public media services PBS and NPR, and parent company for three television stations: Connecticut Public Television (CPTV); CPTV Spirit; and PBS Kids 24/7; and Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR). We serve one million people each month through our television, radio and digital platforms.

Job Description

General Summary
The Investigative Reporter is a critical part of our Accountability Project team focused on Investigative reporting across CT Public, delivering projects on a variety of platforms, including audio, digital and video. The Investigative Reporter will have deep experience in reporting special projects, data investigations and watchdog reporting. The reporter will work with the Investigative Editor to seek out hard to find stories and launch investigations into important stories that add relevance and context to the residents of Connecticut.

Essential Functions
The Investigative Reporter provides a wide range of services in collaboration with the entire Content Team. Applicants must have the ability to complete the following essential job functions:

Balances daily enterprise investigative work with longer-lead projects.
Coordinates with editorial and team leaders on newsletter, digital and linear TV/Radio strategies around each project.
Considers creative ways to tell stories on radio, television and digital.
Contributes to CT Public talk shows and visuals journalism.
Produces enviable record of investigative reporting projects that showcase identifiable change in policy or practice.
Focuses on significant topics that support the overall direction of CT Public content team and meets our standards for journalistic excellence.
Looks for opportunities to produce quick-turn deep reporting on breaking news situations.
Is prepared and seeks special news events (and major stories) and creates plan for coverage.
Works with outside news organizations on collaborative projects.
Works with reporters and producers throughout the content team to produce investigative work across all beats and on each of our platforms.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Responsibilities
This position has many responsibilities. Duties include, but are not limited to:
Assists with staff training as needed.
Coaches reporters and producers on developing project ideas, investigative reporting techniques, and in delivering the finished project to our audiences.
Carries out most responsibilities in the office, is readily available for collaboration and consultation within the department and across the organization, and fills in with reporting needs as circumstances require.
Delegating, assigning, setting objectives, providing positive feedback and taking corrective action, if necessary.
Follows CT Public ethics guidelines.
Other duties as assigned, including on-air fundraising.
Plans for special coverage opportunities on major upcoming news events.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge of:
AP and NPR style.
Investigative editing techniques and news tools that support reporting, including Word, Excel, Audition, and Digital editing apps.
Libel laws and experienced in working with legal teams.
Leading large complex projects, working in a fast-paced environment and handling multiple and changing priorities simultaneously.
Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Microsoft Project, Smartsheets and Outlook.
Mission and purpose of CT Public.
Navigating complex organizations and making the right connections to drive work forward, while anticipating potential shifts in work.
News judgement and an understanding of how to write for radio about state and New England regional issues and current events.
Understanding principles of narrative journalism, long form storytelling in multiple formats.

Skill In:
Storytelling in words, audio and video.
Attention-to-detail, scheduling, and strong organizational skills.
Audio editing but demonstrated interest in sound-rich storytelling.
Embracing and encouraging the use of new techniques and technologies.
Delegating, assigning, setting objectives, providing positive feedback and taking corrective action, if necessary.
News judgment and outstanding writing and editing skills.
Investigative reporting with impact and the courage to take on difficult subjects.
Data reporting and analysis. Deep experience in open records requests.
Strong interpersonal skills and a willingness to collaborate across the newsroom and lead others.

Ability to:
Adjust on the fly during interviews.
Define problems, collect data, and establish facts in order to draw valid conclusions as a change agent.
Lead multiple projects concurrently while paying close attention to detail; and is unwilling to settle for talking points, clichés, and platitudes.
Maintain high journalistic standards under deadline pressure, including standards of objectivity, balance and fairness that meet CT Public, NPR and PBS standards in order to produce regional and national-quality broadcasting.
Possess a visceral distaste for office gossip and politics.
Possess initiative and self-motivation, and work with minimal supervision.
Solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in diverse situations.
Take creative direction/feedback from a supervisor or colleague.
Work with editors and producers in environments that include remote offices.
Work in fast-paced environment making smart, fast, solid editorial decisions under pressure under strict deadlines.
Work Environment
This position works on a hybrid basis, with regular on-site expectations. Field work is required. This position may be exposed to adverse environmental conditions, specifically during field work.

Position Type / Expected Hours of Work
This is a full-time, hourly, non-exempt position. It is the nature of the position to experience non-standard working hours and be on-call when needed for story development or breaking news. We traditionally perform work Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Physical Demands
The physical activities of this position may include frequent in-person interactions. It is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods, perform extensive data entry and other computer-related tasks, and create/maintain filing systems. Must have close visual acuity to perform an activity, such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, or extensive reading. The typical physical requirements are: light work—exerting up to 25lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 10lbs of force frequently and may include climbing, pushing, standing, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion.

Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Journalism or another relevant field AND ten or more (10+) years of direct, sustained, professional experience in investigative reporting or editing.

To Apply

Applications are only accepted through our career portal. Apply online at: https://ctpublic.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/102?c=ctpublic