Courts Reporter

Job Description

Join the Nashville Banner’s Independent Newsroom As a Courts Reporter

The Nashville Banner is seeking a driven, creative journalist to be our next courts reporter. This person is not afraid to dig into public records or data to explain them, but also knows that the best stories prioritize the people at the center of them. We’re looking for someone who can help hold institutions and people in power accountable and who is driven to get out into the community and amplify the voices of those often overlooked by mainstream media. 

Covering the courts doesn’t just mean watching trials, although you might cover some high-profile cases, like the former Tennessee House Speaker who was convicted of giving kickbacks. It means holding the system accountable as well, like when a prominent criminal judge was falling asleep on the bench and forgetting names, or when judges wrongly sealed files from the public. And if we have to, we’ll go to court ourselves to support our reporting.

In this role, you’ll sit in on civil and criminal cases, sift through legal filings to find rulings and pending lawsuits that could have public impact, get to know attorneys and public defenders and hold a magnifying glass to a typically opaque process.

What you’ll need:

• Curiosity. Questions about why things are the way they are, and an ability to report and find out

• Superior creative and editorial judgment and a full grasp of our community-first approach

• Proficiency at finding fresh angles and crafting nuanced narratives

• Interest in the law, courts and public access to the judicial system

• A commitment to fairness and a willingness to be surprised and follow facts

• Excellent verbal and written communication, organizational and interpersonal skills

Essential functions:

• Write 2-3 stories per week, including shorter turn dailies and longform, more heavily sourced features

• Prioritize diversity in your sourcing – age, race, gender, class, etc. – as well as lived experience

• Consistently generate and pitch creative and original story ideas

• Build and maintain close source relationships

• Turn community engagement into deliverable stories

• As needed or directed, lead or collaborate with newsroom teams to produce in-depth packages that require strategic planning and direction to ensure completion of top-quality work

• Participate in regular membership and fundraising campaigns as assigned

• Other duties as assigned

Job Requirements

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Strong reporting and writing skills

• A track record of accuracy and fairness in reporting

• Ability to meet regular deadlines

• Ability to handle multiple projects in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment

• Self-motivated team player with a track record of producing daily news stories and features of interest to local audiences

• Knowledge of Nashville and Middle Tennessee is helpful

Preferred qualifications:

• 1-2 years of experience working as a professional reporter for a weekly or daily digital or broadcast news organization

• Also helpful but not mandatory: familiarity and experience with data analysis tools, public and research databases, court and public records, and FOIA/Right-to-Know requests.

This job is full-time and includes benefits. The work is remote, but you must be based in Nashville or willing to relocate. The salary is $55,000, commensurate with experience. The deadline to apply is July 3, at which point we will begin reviewing applications.

How to apply: 

Send a cover letter, resume, and up to three of your best stories, along with a brief explanation of how you went about reporting the story and how you navigated any challenges that arose in the process, to jobs@nashvillepublicmedia.com.

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