Contributing Reporter, Housing

Posted On: March 3, 2022

Contributor

Media Organization: The River Newsroom

Company Description

The River Newsroom is an independent, digital-first newsmagazine that seeks to provide a regional lens on issues of national importance by producing in-depth, quality journalism and analysis for the Hudson Valley and Catskills regions. We are published by Chronogram Media. Our reporting has influenced policy, been referenced in legislature and council hearings, and been cited by local and state-level publications.

Our core beats are climate, politics, education, health, the economy/housing, and social justice, but right now we are mostly known for our climate and health stories. We’d like to change that. The surge of new permanent residents to the Hudson Valley, and the subsequent development pressure that has brought, has made housing an urgently critical issue for our region, particularly in cities like Kingston, Hudson, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, and Beacon. Affordable housing, homelessness, and development are all justice issues as well, and we’d like to cover the beat through that lens.

Job Description

The River Newsroom is seeking a contributing reporter to cover housing in the Hudson Valley. This is a part-time position starting out at 1-3 articles per month, with room to grow in the future.

The ideal candidate would share the enthusiasm we bring to local reporting and investigative journalism, and would be excited to help build and shape The River. The position can be remote, but the ideal candidate should be based in the communities they cover. We are committed to building an inclusive workspace, and we strongly encourage applications from people of color who are excited about contributing to our mission.

Responsibilities:
—Generate original ideas for 1-3 stories per month on this beat. That can include hard-hitting investigations, explainer pieces about new policies and initiatives, and quicker news scoops.
—Work with editors from pitch or commission to publication, often including multiple rounds of edits.
—Promote your pieces through social media and other available channels.
—Build relationships with sources beyond the scope of an individual article. Ideally the writer on this beat would build long-term expertise on these issues.

The ideal candidate has:
—Excitement about journalism that exposes wrongdoing, highlights solutions, and upholds accountability.
—Demonstrated aptitude reporting in-depth stories.
—An ability to uncover information and spot creative story angles.
—Willingness to work collaboratively and build strong working relationships with editors.
—Familiarity with the issues the beat would cover.
​​—Familiarity with the Hudson Valley media landscape.

To Apply

Please submit a resume, cover letter, and clips to community@therivernewsroom.com with APPLICATION in the subject line.