Sports Reporter, Amarillo, Texas

The Amarillo Globe-News, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is looking for a multimedia journalist to cover athletics in the Texas Panhandle.

The Globe-News covers high school sports in a competitive market, and the ideal candidate will not only know how to write a profile feature, but also build a story quickly for social media and other digital platforms. An ability to find enterprise stories on and off the field of play is also key to this role, and knowledge of short video production from live events would be useful.

With those things in mind, we aren’t looking for five game stories per week. While it goes without saying that Friday nightlights in Texas are important, coverage across the full high school sports spectrum- especially the athletes with stories to tell on and off the field- has proven to be what our audience desires.

Amarillo is a growing city of more than 200,000 located about four hours northwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area and is the economic heart of the Texas Panhandle region. Amarillo is a diverse community with a Double-A baseball team, the colorful history of Route 66, a thriving entertainment scene and lively downtown.

Responsibilities

• Create storytelling that accurately informs, entertains and engages specific audiences and platforms through the use of metrics.
• Work toward becoming the community’s leading voice of expertise in high school sports.
• Connect with the community through storytelling and outreach (social media, on camera, forums, community leadership, etc.). Provide thoughtful analysis of complex issues.
• Work with editor and content strategist to evaluate what's working and what's not and develop ongoing plans to satisfy audience needs.
• Collaborate to provide appropriate elements for stories (i.e. photos, videos and graphics). Capture basic photos and video as needed.
• Promote personal brand, the brands of colleagues and the institutional brand.
• Provide great customer service, helping readers find answers and solutions.
  
  

Requirements

• Bachelor's or master’s degree in communications, journalism or related field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Previous reporting experience preferred; even better if you've covered sports.
• Proficiency on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Reddit.
• Experience shooting and editing photos and video on a mobile device.
• Strong communication skills, news judgement and headline-writing ability.
• Ability to multitask and excel under intense deadline pressure.
• Ability to work collaboratively and efficiently.
• Strong writing, spelling and grammar skills; familiarity with AP style.
• Ability to work some nights and weekends.
• Comfort building a beat and communicating with athletes and coaches.
  
  

This role requires a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.

About

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

• Your resume - one to two pages.
• A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
• Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you’ve produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.
  
  

It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.

We offer a competitive base salary and career growth opportunities. We also offer you a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, Paid Time Off, Company Paid Holidays, employee discount program and domestic partner benefits.

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