Job Description

High School Sports Beat Writer

The East Bay Times is seeking a high school sports beat writer. We are looking for a talented sports journalist who can provide quick game analysis as well as deep-dive enterprise reporting suitable for our digital and print platforms. Our journalists work in real time, publishing around the clock for our online and daily newspaper readers. A large part of this job will be familiarizing yourself with the top teams and coaches in our coverage area and providing regularly scheduled content such as rankings, athlete-of-the-week candidates, roundups, and previews – proven winners for us on the metrics scale.

Football is our primary focus from late summer through the early winter. It drives pageviews and subscriptions like nothing else on the high school beat. During football season, we give our readers something new every day in time for our morning newsletter. In the winter, we mostly cover basketball and soccer. In the spring, we cover sports such as baseball, softball and track and field. This beat also offers opportunities for enterprise stories and in-depth features that reach broad audiences, as well as roles beyond the high school beat, including professional and college sports assignments.

What You Will Do

• Provide concise, accurate game coverage
• Write analysis that tells readers more than who scored and won
• Produce compelling enterprise stories
• Generate regular weekly content that readers will come to rely on, such as weekly rankings, roundups, and athlete of the week
• Regularly work nights and weekends. Build relationships with schools to secure exclusive content and/or breaking news
• Communicate with your supervisor and colleagues regularly
• Monitor your metrics and adjust your audience engagement strategy as needed
• Meet deadlines and juggle multiple stories of varying complexity
• Find and develop sources within the organizations
• Work harmoniously with other departments (i.e. audience, photo and print production teams)
• Complete field assignments in Contra Costa and Alameda County

What You Will Bring

• Knowledge of a variety of prep sports – football, basketball, baseball, softball, track and field, etc.
• Previous experience as a working journalist (college media experience is OK).
• Strong writing and grammatical skills under deadline pressure
• Working knowledge of the Associated Press stylebook
• Proficiency with social media for reporting and sharing stories
• Solid sports news judgment.
• Excellent communication skills regardless of the platform (i.e. in-person, Slack, Zoom/Google Meet, email, texts, etc.)
• Attention to detail and organization
• In a region as diverse as ours, additional language skills are a plus

Benefits and Compensation

The hourly wage range is $28.00 - $30.61 + cell stipend and mileage reimbursement. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to geographic location, education, work experience, time in role, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, the Company offers eligible employees a variety of benefits including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, 401k, as well as paid time off and select paid holidays (all benefits are based on eligibility). Please click the following link for more detailed information:

Who We Are

As the Bay Area's top source for local news, the Bay Area News Group reaches more than 5 million people weekly through a powerful combination of print and digital products. Our publications include The Mercury News serving Silicon Valley and the Peninsula; the East Bay Times serving Oakland, Walnut Creek, Pleasanton and the rest of the East Bay; and more than 20 weekly publications. We connect with a diverse and engaged audience, offering a premiere local news report and comprehensive advertising and marketing solutions across web, mobile and print platforms. The Bay Area News Group is a subsidiary of MediaNews Group, which has 49 Pulitzer Prizes and a nationwide audience, delivering award-winning content across 800 platforms and leading the transformation of the news industry.

"4x Built In Best Places to Work Winner - 2023-2026"

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

How To Apply

• Please submit an online application along with your resume for this position here. In addition to your resume, please include 3-4 clips showcasing your best work

Closing Date

• Continuous recruitment until the position is filled

Conditions of Employment

• A full pre-employment background check and MVR will be conducted as part of the selection process. Must be willing to submit and pass the necessary required checks
• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license and have reliable transportation
• Travel – This position entails occasional driving for work assignments, training sessions, and/or meetings. The employee will be responsible for transporting themselves between different sites as needed
• Must be available for shift work. May be required to work various hours for coverage outside of normal business hours

Job Tags

Hourly pay, Work experience placement, Summer work, Casual work, Local area, Shift work, Night shift, Weekend work, Day shift

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