We’re hiring: Cover big stories in local democracy as a reporter with Charlottesville Tomorrow

Charlottesville Tomorrow is a community-driven, socially conscious news organization. We serve our neighbors by connecting them to each other and to the issues that affect them most.

Our reporters dig deeply into issues that affect our community, regularly producing work that highlights issues often ignored by other media. We center our organization and news processes on our values — truth, community, and equity — and we work to improve the health of our local news community and ecosystem through our inclusive practices in hiring, journalism and partnership.

Our newsroom covers the issues that are most important in our community with a focus on race and equity and reaches a large share of our market through our free email subscriptions, news apps, social media and events.

Join our news team

Charlottesville Tomorrow seeks a reporter who is looking to do ground-level work that makes a difference to our communities. The reporter will focus on covering democracy at the local level by keeping tabs on our governing bodies while also helping community members understand how they can participate in civic life. This is not a traditional political or government reporter; it’s a reporter who covers democracy and the ways local governments impact communities in central Virginia. This position reports to the Editor-in-Chief and works day-to-day with the Managing Editor.

We work hard to create a healthy news environment and rethink how news is produced, both for the sake of journalists doing the work and the communities we serve. While we are outlining job responsibilities and skills here, we are looking for someone who wants to join our team to help build on that culture. If you are interested, even if your experience does not match all that is listed here, please apply.

Here’s some of what this reporter will do

• Produce one to three community-focused news reports each week (subscribe to our newsletter to get a feel for what we publish)
• Work on projects and enterprise-level stories several times per year (see some examples here) including our Voter Guide
• Connect with community members regularly, be responsive to inquiries
• Work with the team to grow our coverage in terms of depth and breadth
• Occasionally take on other editorial tasks, including editing and social media production
• Occasionally attend events as a representative of Charlottesville Tomorrow
• Help with the overall development and direction of a growing news organization

Here are some skills that will help

We do not expect any one candidate will have all of these skills or experiences, but here are some things we are looking for:

• Experience in journalism as a reporter who can produce both short term stories along with larger enterprise or investigative pieces
• Great news judgment and the ability to identify and pitch story ideas
• Excellent writing, with the ability to craft compelling stories that grab the reader’s attention and keep it through the story
• Fact-checking experience and value for accuracy
• Experience getting information and data from government and public agencies, and using that data
• Interviewing experience and the ability to communicate with and earn the trust of people from diverse communities
• Personal or professional experience in multiple cultural settings and/or non-English language skills
• The ability to work with a diverse team, help boost colleagues and seek help when you need it
• Time management skills and the ability to understand a broad landscape and prioritize coverage
• Comfort with websites, spreadsheets and technical tools, and the ability to learn new systems
• Curiosity about the world, and desire to investigate and understand how systems operate!

We are looking for someone who loves to take in a lot of information — from city meetings to data sets and reports — and make it accessible and useful to the people the issues affect most. This job also involves regular communication with sources throughout the city in pursuit of stories that go beyond headlines. We are seeking a reporter who prioritizes what matters to our diverse communities and can effectively cover politicians, government officials and others in positions of power.

We are seeking a reporter who thrives when trying new ways of doing things and can see beyond the limitations of traditional news coverage. We seek someone who understands that being visible, present and accountable with our community and knowledgeable about its people is core to any journalistic success. We are looking for a journalist who understands that all good work starts with being a good human being and that the future of local journalism relies on including a diversity of voices at every level.

Location 

Charlottesville is a college town with many opportunities for learning and recreation, and good quality of life. And it is a fast-growing, multicultural node in the region’s knowledge and finance economy. The quality of living is high, and it is a short drive from Washington D.C. and Richmond.

It’s a fascinating place to be a journalist, too. Our team is at the ground level of reporting on some of the biggest challenges facing our country, from housing prices to racial reckoning. Charlottesville has a competitive and fast-changing small media market with high visibility in state and national news cycles.

This is not a remote position. Our team lives and works in the communities we cover, in central Virginia, and regularly spends time in our Charlottesville newsroom.

Compensation

We are building compensation packages to help create equity in the news industry. Our pay is competitive for our local area and among nonprofit news organizations around the country.

Salary Range: $50,000 to $70,000

Paid time off: At least 10 days, plus Virginia holidays. We also have two non publishing weeks per year, which editorial staff can use as they like.

Benefits: Medical, dental and vision insurance, health savings account, retirement plan with up to 3% match

Flexible hours: We pride ourselves on building a newsroom that allows you to do work in the ways and hours that are best for you and your beat. You have the option of working where you like or in the newsroom most of the time. This is not, however, a remote position because we expect reporters to spend time in person in the communities they cover. We conduct daily meetings by video and weekly or project meetings in person, and use Slack and phone to communicate throughout the day.

Advancement: We invest in our reporters. You will have opportunities to develop your skills and broaden your networks through training and conferences. We support our team as they pursue fellowships and leadership programs and seek to grow as professionals.

How to apply

Our application process is designed to help us find candidates who will thrive in our newsroom.

The first step is a written application. Candidates who progress should expect two to three rounds of interviews and a possible paid writing assessment. We are looking to fill this position as soon as we find the right candidate, and are seeking someone who can start immediately or by early 2024. This job listing will be open to applicants until we fill the position.

To get started, please tell us or provide:

• Why you are interested in working with Charlottesville Tomorrow
• The kind of journalism you’ve done and the kind you’d like to do
• Three to five links to your published work, with short descriptions of how the pieces were edited.
• A link to your up-to-date LinkedIn profile, or attach a resume

To make your written application, please fill out this form

We cannot accept applications except through the form, and will not respond to applications made in another way. We will get back to you within four weeks of your submission about where we are in the selection process.

Have questions? Find a time to speak with the CEO and Editor-in-Chief at this link. Due to the volume of inquiries we receive, we will not be able to answer emails about this role.