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The job skills and responsibilities sought in a new county government reporter for the Register in Orange County could be a template for how out-of-work journalists should market themselves these days. Think solid reporting, the ability to break news and write smart analysis, mixed with posting to blogs and Twitter and comfort on TV and radio. Posting from the newsroom is after the jump:
Newsroom Associates:We are looking for a new county government reporter. The job entails embedding yourself in the county Hall of Administration to develop sources that will enable you to obtain confidential documents and break stories about important county developments before they become public in a press release or meeting. The reporter will be expected to post regularly on both the Total Buzz and OC Watchdog blogs, to write dailies as necessary about important county developments, to write longer analyses and feature profiles, to write Watchdog-style enterprise stories about waste and abuse, and to find or contribute to major investigations. This reporter also collaborates with the politics team on election and issues coverage.
In addition, we expect this reporter to find new ways to make county government coverage more interactive, including such strategies as live Twitter and/or blog updates, reader polls, and multimedia presentations.
The successful candidate will:
--be a self-starter who appreciates expert guidance but rarely needs it
--have demonstrated the ability to cover a complex beat in a sophisticated way.
--have demonstrated the ability to develop a balanced coterie of sources
--be an excellent writer with a wide range of skills; able to translate bureaucratic lingo into clear, concise and reader-friendly stories
--have demonstrated the ability to perform on and meet deadlines
--have experience writing fair and complete Watchdog-style stories
--be familiar with CCI, Word Press and CAT and have a demonstrated ability to use them without problems
--be comfortable working with radio and TV broadcasters, both our partners and independent media who want to showcase our expertise on county issues.In addition to the above these skills will help an applicant rise to the top:
--Investigative reporting experience
--Computer-assisted reporting skills
--Spanish and/or Vietnamese language skillsIf you are interested in applying please send an e-mail to Chris Knap, editor for government, politics and investigations, along with a brief bio and links to three recent stories that you feel show your best skills. You will be contacted for an interview. We hope to fill the job by the end of July.