Food & Dining Reporter
Req #23790
Our current portfolio of media assets includes USA TODAY, local media organizations in 46 states in the U.S., and Newsquest, a wholly owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom with more than 120 local news media brands. Gannett also owns the digital marketing services companies ReachLocal, Inc., UpCurve, Inc., and WordStream, Inc., which are marketed under the LOCALiQ brand, and runs the largest media-owned events business in the U.S., USA TODAY NETWORK Ventures.
To connect with us, visit www.gannett.com.
Food & Dining Reporter
The Des Moines Register/desmoinesregister.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is seeking a digital-first food and dining reporter to cover the vibrant food and restaurant industry dining news affecting the Des Moines metro.
We are seeking a reporter who will be the first to report on openings, closings and trends in the food and restaurant world. From diving into guides centered on where to eat in neighborhoods, where to find specific cuisines and situational dining experiences to tracking down new restaurants and the people behind them, this job is one of the marquee positions at the Des Moines Register.
This reporter will have a key role in our weekly Off Hours newsletter that seeks to connect community and build trust. We are intensely interested in crossing the fault lines of race, ethnicity, gender, income levels, and other barriers to connection with our coverage.
The successful applicant will be part of a three-member entertainment team, reporting to the entertainment editor. Teamwork is a key attribute for anyone we hire, and this reporter would become part of a team that works in a collaborative fashion, occasionally picking up celebrity news, shopping and arts coverage in support of the team.
This reporter should demonstrate skill at storytelling across platforms. He or she should be comfortable taking photos and producing video as needed and using social media and other digital tools to present news in novel ways. This reporter will use metrics to understand what’s resonating with readers and will shape coverage to steadily increase target audiences.
The Des Moines Register is a 17-time Pulitzer Prize winner. We reach readers across the state with our daily Des Moines Register editions, our award-winning DesMoinesRegister.com mobile and desktop sites and various nondaily publications.
We expect anyone who works with us to be constantly improving their skills. We offer a robust internal and Gannett-wide training program. This reporter will also work with experienced editors and occasionally be partnered with veteran reporters on articles and projects.
Des Moines is a growing capital city that has become a magnet for young professionals, attracted by an expanding job base and a vibrant cultural and arts scene.
Responsibilities:
- Cultivate a beat focused on bars, breweries, local chefs and culinary personalities, food and beverage trends, restaurant news and nightlife.
- Break essential Iowa food and dining news.
- Report quick-turn, enterprise and trending stories and traditional long-form features.
- Demonstrate strong news judgment informed by real-world experience.
- Bring fresh ideas about how to best deliver audience-centered coverage of the diverse dining and drinking culture of metro Des Moines to editorial meetings.
- Engage with new audiences through stories that cover traditionally underrepresented communities in central Iowa.
- Use real-time metrics to respond to user demand and reader interest.
- Work with newsroom leaders to shape storytelling to meet audience needs and interests tailored to appropriate platforms.
- Engage with readers through various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Reddit.
- Ability to tell stories in imaginative ways while maintaining consistency in the quality of copy, including good grammar.
- Ability to consistently produce content in a deadline-driven, dynamic environment.
- Good time management and ability to meet deadlines.
- Work closely with graphic, photo and video teams to collaborate on visual elements of stories.
Requirements:
- Bachelor's or master’s in communications, journalism or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum of 3 years’ reporting/newsroom experience.
- Adept at taking photos and video and will file quickly across platforms: mobile, desktop and social media.
- Strong command of AP grammar and style.
- Strong copy-editing skills and the ability to produce content that is clean, accurate and "publication ready."
- Is passionate and enthusiastic about news and content that will work well with audiences on social platforms.
- Comfortable in fluid, fast-breaking, stressful situations.
- A desire to grow and develop the dining beat.
- Is comfortable using social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
- Understands reporting ethics and sourcing.
- Excels in a fast-paced news environment and understands the digital-first mission.
- Collaborates well with others and can work with a team on the biggest stories.
- This role requires a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.
- Employment is contingent on passing a post-offer pre-employment background check, motor vehicle record check & drug screen.
We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:
- Your resume – one to two pages.
- A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
- Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you’ve produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.
It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.
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Other details
- Job Family Frontline Journalists
- Job Function Consumer
- Pay Type Hourly
- Required Education Equivalent Experience