Breaking News/Trending Reporter

The Detroit Free Press is hiring! Join the breaking and trending news team and take a prime seat at the nerve center of one of the Midwest's largest and best newsrooms.

We are looking for an experienced, energetic journalist interested in covering the hard news challenges and soft news joys of metro Detroit.

The right candidate is passionate about journalism that's essential to the community and delivered when it happens. We need you to not just cover but also break news. Find stories and topics that resonate with readers and build an audience. Tell those stories in ways that are most essential and useful for readership. Write quickly but accurately, clearly and concisely, and know when a story's a perfect opportunity for a video, a social media post or even a newsletter. We're looking for a go-getter, a self-motivator who can adapt and write under pressure.

Responsibilities:

• Report and write breaking and trending news primarily in the afternoon and evening, though hours can vary. This includes going to the scene of breaking news.

• Develop sources across the community - key players such as police and city officials and also community members.

• Monitor the news in real time and sniff out good stories.

• Experiment with different ways to communicate information. Is it a photo? Is it a video? Is it a chart? Is it an alternative story form?

• Work together with our award-winning team of journalists, from reporters to editors to photographers, video and audio producers and web editors, to deliver the best news report in Detroit and Michigan.

• Use analytics, Google Trends and other tools to track story performance, identify trending topics and evaluate ways to improve readership.

• Provide great customer service.

• Perform other duties as necessary.

Requirements:

• Excellent time management skills. Must be able to juggle multiple assignments at once.

• Core journalism skills (interviewing, reporting, writing, AP style).

• Ability to interpret and act on audience data.

• Proficiency with social media platforms including (but not limited to) Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, YouTube and LinkedIn.

• Self-motivation and self-direction.

• Curiosity and a hunger to learn.

• Excellent communication skills.

• Command of media law and ethics.

• Commitment to fairness and equity.

• Openness to peer-to-peer feedback and training.

• This role requires a valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.

• Adaptability for whatever comes next.

Application Instructions

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:

1.Your resume - one to two pages.

2.A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.

3.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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