City Hall Reporter

Summary:
We're looking to make a critical addition to our talented local news and enterprise team at the Mercury News. This reporter will cover one of our most important beats: San Jose's City Hall, the Bay Area's largest city. What happens in San Jose, whether it's Google's plans for a huge campus that would reshape downtown or a first-in-the-nation requirement that gun owners carry liability insurance - resonates across the country. Our news organization has the ambition and ability to tell the story of San Jose and the region with the elevation it warrants.
What you will do:

• You'll handle a torrent of breaking news in the fascinating, diverse heart of Silicon Valley - from crime and housing to politics and business
• You will work in real time, publishing words, sounds and images individually and in collaboration with colleagues
• Writing under deadline pressure, for online and print audiences, including crafting headlines and nut graphs that distill why a story needs to be read and shared online.
• Juggle multiple stories of varying complexity, from quick news posts and daily news stories to longer-term enterprise and features
• Report directly from the field
• Work both alone and collaboratively with a rotating cast of reporters and editors
• Write sharp, clean copy that draws readers in, including nut graphs and online headlines
• Use the web and social media to report stories and to share them
• Jump from one hot story to the next in an intensely competitive news environment

What you will bring:

• 3+ years of experience as a working journalist
• Excellent news judgment and an understanding of local politics, breaking news, business and labor
• The energy, initiative and time-management skills to dig deep when impactful enterprise opportunities emerge
• Strong writing skills under deadline pressure
• Strong grammatical skills and a working knowledge of the Associated Press stylebook
• A fascination and facility with data coupled with the skill and experience to analyze it and seek out new sources of information
• In our diverse region, facility with multiple languages is a plus
• 4-year college degree (journalism or related fields) required

Must be located in the South Bay area with weekly in office expectations in San Jose.
Along with your resume, please submit a cover letter and 3-4 writing clips.
The hourly wage is $33.34 - $35.90 ($65,013 - $70,005). Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, time in role, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, MediaNews Group offers a comprehensive benefits package, and 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility).
Who we are:
Bay Area News Group, a subsidiary of MediaNews Group, offers news reporting and third party advertising and marketing opportunities through its multi-platform products which include: web, mobile, tablet, and print. We are one of the largest media groups in the U.S., serving high-value audiences and connecting advertisers to them. MNG publishes award-winning content (49 Pulitzers) that amasses and engages a nationwide audience via 800 multi-media platforms including web, mobile, social, and print. We are transforming the news industry.
We are an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
"Built In Best Places to Work 2023 & 2024 Winner"
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