Reporter, Police Beat
Advance Local : OregonLive.com
Portland, OR
Full-time
Writing / Editing
Posted on April 13, 2024
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are at the core of our mission to strengthen and empower the communities we serve.
The Oregonian seeks a reporter to cover the Portland police beat with urgency and the highest journalistic standards, to break news and pivot to breaking news when circumstances demand, in a high-impact job within a team that leads the newsroom’s coverage of major issues of the day. The team puts a premium on curiosity, collegiality and flexibility to cover news when and where it happens. The right candidate understands iteration and competition and uses a mixture of field work, source development and savvy mining of public records to add context, depth and a human perspective to stories. In addition to a demonstrated record of watchdog coverage, the successful candidate will be passionate about telling the stories of communities impacted disproportionately by police policy.
What you’ll get the opportunity to do:
- Offer an engaged readership the first and best take on policing, primarily in Portland but also elsewhere in the state
- Dive into some of Portland’s (and the nation’s) most pressing problems – including police accountability, crime and systemic racism — with focus on equity and solutions
- Find victims, tell their stories and leverage your journalism to improve the status quo for Oregonians who are being marginalized or harmed
- Work closely with mentors and editors and collaborate with data, photo and video journalists
The ideal candidate will have:
- Degree in Journalism or Communications or related field
- Minimum of 2 years of journalism experience with a proven ability for clear, engaging writing, fresh story framing and diverse sourcing
- Excellent time management skills with ability to work under tight deadlines when needed
- Skill at using social media and digital platforms to drive traffic and engage readers, including experience with search engine optimization practices
- Ability to take photos, video and audio on assignment as needed
- Proficiency in Spanish or another world language spoken widely in Oregon (such as Mandarin, Vietnamese or Russian) would be a great additional skill set
- This job requires reliable transportation to meet with sources or cover events
- Deadline to apply: 05/18/2024
For more information or questions, Contact Public Safety Team editor Margaret Haberman at 503-221-8375 or mhaberman@oregonian.com.
Position is remote/hybrid. In office as needed.
Extensive computer use required. Flexible hours required. We are a “remote first” work environment.