WAMU 88.5 is the leading public radio station in the greater Washington, D.C. area, and DCist is our digital outlet for local news. We provide in-depth and enterprise reporting alongside essential daily news and information that aims to reflect and serve the diverse communities of our region. We believe in news as a public service and put our current and future audience at the center of our work.

Summary/Objective

Reporters in WAMU’s newsroom help carry out our regional news initiatives across broadcast and digital platforms. In consultation with newsroom editors, reporters develop sources and shape their assigned beats. Coverage will include breaking news, day turn stories, explainers, two-ways, features and other enterprise work for both audio and the web.

The position requires curiosity, motivation, and a deep professional interest in local news. The Reporter should have strong editorial judgment and the ability to write quickly, clearly, and with a distinctive and appealing style. In addition to beat coverage, all reporters maintain regular breaking news shifts.

This reporter focuses on D.C. education writ large – including DCPS, charter schools and higher education. They are our go-to reporter for K-12 schools news in D.C., ranging from breaking updates to enterprise and feature work. They also cover trends and stories of major significance from the region's higher education institutions. While this reporter focus on D.C., they may also occasionally cover regional stories, coordinating with the Northern Virginia and Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties reporters.

Essential Functions

1. Report and write news stories online and on air: Evaluate leads, monitor major news developments, and contribute story ideas, or receive assignments from an editor. Determine a web and/or broadcast story's emphasis, length, and format and organize material accordingly. Report both at a desk and in the field; Collaborate with other reporters, as needed. Write multiple web stories and broadcast/newscast pieces per week, and regularly contribute features and enterprise work. Cover at least one breaking news shift per week. Establish and maintain relationships with individuals who are credible sources of information.
2. Produce stories: Produce web stories in WordPress, including finding images, writing headlines (with the help of an editor), and doing SEO work. Write tweets and Facebook posts for stories, as needed. Produce audio, utilizing field sound to create a sense of place and weaving appropriate sound bites together to paint a holistic portrait.
3. Engage audiences: Engage with reader questions and feedback on social media and in DCist’s comment section, when necessary and as time allows. Participate in events, both internal and external, as a representative of the station and subject matter expert.
4. General Assignment shift: Assume a general assignment reporting shift approximately one day every two weeks.

Work Environment

• Minimal travel required.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• Full Time, 35 hours/week.
• Project Leader/Advisor A.
• Non-Exempt.
• This position is Union-Eligible.

Salary Range

• $82,257.00/year; additional compensation is commensurate with experience.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• 4-6 years of relevant experience.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• Top-notch writing and reporting skills.
• Sharp source generation and interview skills.
• Journalistic agility, or the ability to shift comfortably between writing radio scripts, online news articles, explainers, short and longer pieces.
• Strong journalistic ethics.
• Experience building audience connections using social media and mining platforms for story ideas, angles, and sources.
• Willingness to try new storytelling methods and adapt to changing platforms and audience needs.
• Ability to work collaboratively with others.
• Commitment to building and fostering an inclusive, encouraging, and diverse workplace.
• Creativity, flexibility and resourcefulness.
• Must be an effective and imaginative storyteller with a keen sense of how to shape content to suit different audiences--both on air (via local newscasts, live two-ways, feature stories, etc.) and online (via WAMU.org and social media platforms).
• Must have a well-developed sense of how to create digital content that is compelling, sharable, visual, and impactful.

Others

• Hiring offers for this position are contingent on successful completion of a background check.
• To ensure the health and safety of our community AU requires COVID-19 vaccinations for faculty and staff. Click here to learn more about our health and safety directive.
• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.