Breaking News/Criminal Justice Reporter

Breaking News/Criminal Justice Reporter

The Las Vegas Review-Journal is seeking a reporter to join a team that covers police, courts and other breaking news in Southern Nevada. We are looking for a journalist who embraces video and multimedia storytelling, can write with context and clarity, and has a passion for being first on breaking stories.

This is a busy beat that consistently drives significant online traffic. The beat requires a mix of daily breaking news, second- and third-day follows, and longer-term enterprise pieces.

The ideal candidate is digitally focused, can work well under deadline pressure, use social media to live-tweet and break news, shoot and edit video from a smartphone, develop sources and make complicated issues understandable. He or she must have initiative, energy, a good work ethic and be a passionate storyteller. Members of the team are expected to roll to breaking news scenes and report from them, then move as directed by editors.

The candidate will be expected to write quickly for the web with updates as events develop, and then wrap a write-through for the newspaper. The ability to converse in Spanish and comfortably interact with subjects who prefer communicating in Spanish is another plus.

Candidates should have familiarity with PACER and other online case-lookup services, as well as experience filing public records requests and navigating court calendars and jail records.

Requirements:

•         Bachelor’s degree in English, communications, journalism or related field.
•         At least two years of reporting experience at news organizations, or a recent college graduate with at least one internship at a mid-major or major news organization.
•         Ability to manage a busy beat using strong organizational and communication skills.
•         Strong reporting and writing skills.
•         Familiarity with social media.
•         Ability to shoot video to accompany stories.

Las Vegas is as dynamic a news market as anywhere in the country, and the Review-Journal is the area’s dominant news source. Southern Nevada is home to about 2.3 million people, plus up to 200,000 visitors on any given day. It is a diverse metro area with a vibrant downtown and cultural scene, and it’s a half-day drive or less to some of the West’s most spectacular outdoor recreation and national parks.

The Review-Journal is an equal opportunity employer and drug-free workplace. Passing a drug screening is a requirement for employment. This position is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and requires a reliable vehicle. 

We offer a generous benefits package including 401(k) with matching contributions. 

Please send a cover letter, resume and samples of your best work to Carri Geer, assistant managing editor for news and business, at cgeer@reviewjournal.com.