General Assignments Reporter

General Assignment Reporter 

The Ithaca Voice is a leader in local independent news and we are seeking a full-time general assignment reporter who will bring a sharp eye toward covering breaking news and helping with daily coverage of news and events from in and around Ithaca, New York.

Founded in June 2014, The Ithaca Voice’s mission is to improve civic and political understanding in Ithaca and Tompkins County by publishing and sustaining in-depth, educational, rigorous, timely and ethical journalism that all residents can access free of charge online. In this Ithaca-based role, the general assignment reporter will be primarily responsible for ensuring that The Voice remains the go-to source for breaking news on Ithaca and Tompkins County government, economy, the environment, public safety, education, public health, and other issues of local interest. The successful applicant will be an intrepid, innovative news-hound who is comfortable both with data and documents and with human source-building and narrative storytelling. Someone who can shape and land memorable, high-impact projects but also handle quick scoops and brings distinctive storytelling to the day’s happenings. 

The general assignment reporter should have a strong knowledge of current local affairs, and an ear to the community. We are seeking a candidate who can bring a fresh perspective to our team, along with a strong work ethic and commitment to free, local journalism. A self-motivated, curious reporter with a knack for finding the news first is essential to our organization. 

The candidate must possess a traditional reporting skill set, knowledgeable of AP style, dedicated to accurate and timely reporting, knowledge of and genuine interest in the Ithaca and Tompkins County community and: 

• Can write daily news stories on a range of subject areas including crime, courts and criminal justice to local government, and features. 

• Is comfortable taking and editing photos for stories. 

• Can generate story ideas for daily stories as well as long-form features and investigative stories.

• Can produce data-driven stories and is comfortable covering stories involving budgets and other quantitative datasets. Experience with data visualization is a plus. 

• Lives in or is willing to relocate to Tompkins County. 

The candidate must possess the following core competencies 

• News judgment 

• Ethics 

• Civic & cultural literacy 

• Data visualization 

• Interviewing finesse 

• Command of language 

• Processing information 

• Expressing ideas through written communication 

• Understanding of The Ithaca Voice’s mission 

The salary range for this position is $42,000-$47,000 depending on qualifications. Benefits include: health, vision, dental and life insurance.

All reporters at The Ithaca Voice are responsible for occasional evening, weekend, and holiday hours as news demands. 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of two years of relevant experience is preferred or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

• A demonstrated passion and talent for reporting breaking news as it occurs and getting the story right.

• A strong grasp of AP style.

• Strong familiarity with journalistic ethics and libel law and a focus on adhering to the best practices of journalism.

• Ability to conceive of and foster nontraditional storytelling.

• Prior experience publishing and formatting stories with content management systems, including WordPress and social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter).

• Experience and knowledge of local politics and government is preferred but not required. 

We know some great candidates won’t check all of these boxes, and we also know you might bring important skills that we haven’t considered. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself. 

Location 

This position is based in Ithaca, New York. The Ithaca Voice office is located downtown, steps away from the Ithaca Commons, City Hall, The Tompkins County Courthouse, and County Legislature. 

How to Apply

To submit your application, please supply your resume and examples of your work to Managing Director, Ron Van Ormer - rvanormer@ithacavoice.com. Please include a cover letter detailing your vision for this position and how you would approach the work. Position open until filled.