Breaking News Reporter

Job Description

POSITION OVERVIEW: 

The breaking news reporter is a core part of the PBS News’ digital news team. We’re looking for a relentlessly curious and experienced reporter who can spot a good story and produce it quickly in multiple formats. A candidate should have exceptional writing skills with experience reporting and writing daily stories. 

This position demands the ability to respond rapidly to breaking news across a wide range of topics — from politics and policy to science, culture, and international affairs. On any given day, the reporter may be called upon to produce multiple fast-turn stories under tight deadlines, often publishing within minutes of major developments. The breaking news reporter will be expected to quickly verify information, distill complex facts into clear and accurate copy, and update those stories as events unfold. This includes tracking developing news over hours or days, maintaining ongoing coverage with fresh angles and context, and ensuring the latest updates are reflected across the PBS NewsHour website as well as its social media and video platforms. The successful candidate will be adept at juggling multiple assignments at once. They will collaborate with social and video teams to produce or package their reporting for other platforms to ensure PBS News’ audiences receive timely, accurate and engaging coverage wherever they encounter it. Political reporting experience is a plus. 

The breaking news reporter will also take shifts on our news desk, managing video, wire and partner content. 

We work in a highly collaborative newsroom with ample opportunities for new products and approaches to engaging the audience in the biggest stories of the day, and those they’ve yet to discover.  

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Monitor and respond to breaking news across a wide range of topics, publishing initial coverage within minutes.
• Report, verify, and write fast-turn daily stories with accuracy and clarity under tight deadlines, multiple times per week.
• Update and advance developing stories adding new context, angles, and details as events evolve.
• Distill complex information into concise, accessible copy for a broad national audience.
• Coordinate with social and video teams to package and adapt reporting for multiple platforms, including web, social, and on-air.
• Manage multiple assignments simultaneously, prioritizing coverage based on news urgency and audience needs.
• Pitch ideas and help develop new storytelling formats and audience engagement strategies.
• Staff shifts on the PBS News website posting wire, partner and original journalism to keep our audiences informed.  

ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Excellent and speedy writing skills
• Ability to construct compelling narratives in written posts, social media, and video scripts.
• A self-starter who can take assignments as easily as they can pitch, and can pivot quickly to add or drop stories in order to reach team goals
• Minimum three (3) years’ experience in journalism, preferably for a major publication, digital, or broadcast
• Experience using web publishing platforms and social media.
• A knack for pitching irresistible stories that are relevant and resonate with our audience.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced newsroom setting and adjust smoothly to changing assignments.
• Ability to work closely with colleagues in a collaborative manner under deadline. 

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE 

• 3-5 years of experience reporting, writing and producing journalism for large or national audiences. 
  BA in Journalism or another related communications field. 

• Or equivalent combination of education and experience. 

LOCATION: 

WETA and NewsHour Productions are Washington, DC established media and news organizations. We are a largely local workforce based out of the Campbell Place office in Arlington, VA. WETA and NewsHour Productions value employee flexibility when possible. Most positions based in our Arlington, VA office will be onsite or hybrid, depending upon the role. 

COMPANY OVERVIEW: 

WETA and its subsidiary NewsHour Productions LLC serve local and national public media audiences by producing and distributing content of intellectual integrity and cultural merit. Through broadcast, digital and community services, the organization offers compelling, diverse programming on five television channels, including primary channel WETA PBS, and on WETA Classical, the exclusive home for classical music in the nation’s capital; produces a portfolio of national television productions, including PBS NewsHour, recognized globally for bringing balanced, in-depth news coverage to all Americans; creates impactful documentaries with longtime production partners Ken Burns and Prof. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; features a variety of content offerings on weta.org, WETA Passport, the PBS Video App and the WETA Classical App; and serves communities near and far with education and engagement initiatives that contribute to the company’s mission of public service. Benefits | WETA   

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: 

WETA and NewsHour Productions are equal opportunity employers committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. 

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and internships. WETA and NewsHour Productions make hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time. 

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