Madison Reporter
JOB SUMMARY
WPR is seeking an ambitious reporter to cover state government and local news of statewide interest. The Madison Reporter will take primary responsibility for covering news out of the Madison region. This person will also keep a close eye on how state government affects the residents of Wisconsin.
WPR's on-air and online services each reach nearly half a million people every month. This reporter will serve those audiences with daily stories, feature reports and appearances on our statewide talk shows.
WPR's news department seeks to empower Wisconsin's communities through rigorous reporting that provides context, holds public officials accountable, and sheds clarifying light on complex topics. Our goal is to deliver news that keeps the audience abreast of the most significant news of the day, provides unique and insightful information and represents Wisconsin's diverse communities. We value diversity and inclusiveness. We want to reflect communities across Wisconsin in our coverage and staffing and encourage journalists from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds to apply. This position reports to the Capitol Bureau Chief.
EDUCATION
Bachelor's Degree preferred
Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, or related field required and at least 2 years of professional reporting experience in a daily news operation OR no bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of professional reporting experience in a daily news operation.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
-Bachelor's degree required and 2 years full-time experience in journalism as a reporter working in a daily news operation OR no bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of full-time experience in journalism as a reporter working in a daily news operation.
-Excellent writing skills.
-Proven ability to work in both independent and collaborative settings.
-Demonstrated organizational skills, ability to work within tight deadlines and manage competing responsibilities.
-Demonstrated knowledge of journalism ethics, newsgathering and reporting techniques.
-Demonstrated history of enterprising reporting.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
-Experience working in public media.
-Experience writing and producing radio stories.
-Knowledge and understanding of Wisconsin news, culture, issues and personalities.
-Experience with document sharing and virtual meeting software (e.g. Microsoft, Slack, Google, etc.).
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Researches, prepares, and reports stories that are balanced, issue-oriented, and analytical for use in news and/or public affairs programs. Employs editorial judgement to select sources, conducts and records interviews, writes scripts, and may edit audio and/or video during the production of reporting assignments.
- 60% Contributes content including interviewing sources, writing stories/reports, and completing other necessary production tasks to create news/public affairs reports
- 10% Applies editorial judgment and maintains industry standards of journalistic ethics and excellence
- 20% Stays abreast of developments in assigned areas, maintains contacts on continued stories to ensure follow-up, and researches topic areas to provide in-depth reports
- 10% Collaborates with digital content teams on both long-term and short-term multimedia projects
SALARY
Minimum $50,000 ANNUAL (12 months)
Depending on Qualifications
Expected salary range for this position is in the low 50's - to mid-50s. Actual pay will depend on experience and qualifications.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The person in this position will be required to comply with the Ethical Guidelines for Editorial Staff of Wisconsin Public Radio and Television located here: https://www.wpr.org/wpr-ethical-guidelines, in addition to the UW-Madison code of ethics.
The University of Wisconsin is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We promote excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.
Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.
Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion
HOW TO APPLY
Apply online at jobs.hr.wisc.edu by May 20th. The job number is 256934.
The following must be received for your application to be complete: 1) Resume; 2) A cover letter describing how your experience relates to the job duties and minimum and desirable qualifications; 3) 3 samples of broadcast and/or web news stories; 4) At least three professional references with titles, emails, and phone numbers (include at least one supervisory reference). References will not be contacted without your knowledge.
Questions? Contact: Kate O'Connor, 821 University Avenue, Madison, WI, 53706; 608-262-5221