K-12 Education Reporter

IndyStar is seeking a reporter to cover K-12 education in and around Indianapolis - providing our Central Indiana readers with the breaking news, trending/utility content and enterprise stories that resonate with them.

IndyStar is winner of three Pulitzer Prizes, including in 2021 for national reporting. We recently received a $2 million investment from our parent company, Gannett, to turbocharge local journalism in Central Indiana. You'll work with and learn from some of journalism's best while living in a vibrant and diverse city in the heart of the Midwest.

Our K-12 reporter will relish the challenge of a competitive news market, employing analytics and developing grassroots sources to identify the news that parents and students need and want in their daily lives. Coverage areas can range from "when do schools return from summer break" to watchdog pieces on educational inequities to the latest on culture wars in the classroom.

Our town may be competitive, but our newsroom is collaborative. This reporter can expect to work with colleagues on a range of beats, including but certainly not limited to the communities reporter. Every IndyStar reporter is expected to seek out and represent diverse racial, ethnic, and economic perspectives in their work. The education reporter should strive to ensure his or her work reflects the perspectives of students, parents, teachers, administrators and educational experts alike.

Our mission is clear: IndyStar informs, empowers and inspires the people of Central Indiana with our journalism. We deliver journalism that is essential to the communities we serve with urgency. We are a people-centered newsroom that's obsessed with thoughtful experimentation and developing our next generation of industry leaders.

If you're up to the challenge of moving us forward, read on for job requirements and information on how to share your qualifications and best work.

Key responsibilities:

• Covering breaking news about education in central Indiana, including schools openings and closings, shifts in major educational policies, and statewide testing results.

• Identifying and writing enterprise and trend stories on topics such as charter schools, educational equity, school performance, social issues among teenagers.

• Bringing readers inside Indiana's classrooms and allowing them to see the world from the eyes of the state's students.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in journalism or a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• At least two years of professional journalism experience.

• An entrepreneurial approach to growing audience and a dedicated following.

• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.

• Ability to take photos and record video/audio in the field.

• Solid news judgment that's guided by experience with audience metrics.

• Strong sense of journalism ethics and grounding in basics of media law.

• Commitment to reporting with fairness, compassion and sensitivity.

• Command of AP style and dedication to accuracy

Expected pay range:

The salary is $48,000 to $65,000 commensurate with experience

How to apply:

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 PDF 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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