Sports Reporter at Gannett in Lafayette, Louisiana

Job Description:

The Daily Advertiser, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is looking for an energetic, enterprising reporter to cover sports in Lafayette, Louisiana, and its surrounding parishes.

Lafayette, in the heart of Acadiana, not only has successful high schools athletics that regularly compete for state championships in all sports, but also has dozens of high-level college recruits spanning multiple sports annually. Notably, there are a high number of top-notch, nationally relevant prospects in football and baseball. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a member of the Sun Belt Conference, is also in town, and this reporter will assist with USA TODAY coverage of LSU athletics.

While Friday nights in the fall obviously are a huge part of the community, and breaking news is important -- enterprise stories are the heart of this beat. Interesting stories that take place off the field in and around Lafayette are essential to success.

That means meeting sources, talking with parents and getting the pulse of our community. Recruiting, student-athlete life, coach pay and team travel, among many, are opportunities for this reporter to put into perspective for readers.

Lafayette is an hour west of Baton Rouge, just over two hours away from New Orleans and 3 hours from Houston and is the heart of Cajun country.

Responsibilities:

• Create storytelling that accurately informs, entertains and engages specific audiences and platforms through the use of metrics.
• Work toward becoming the community's leading voice of expertise in high school sports.
• Connect with the community through storytelling and outreach (social media, on camera, forums, community leadership, etc.). Provide thoughtful analysis of complex issues.
• Work with editor and content strategist to evaluate what's working and what's not and develop ongoing plans to satisfy audience needs.
• Collaborate to provide appropriate elements for stories (i.e. photos, videos and graphics). Capture basic photos and video as needed.
• Promote personal brand, the brands of colleagues and the institutional brand.
• Provide great customer service, helping readers find answers and solutions.

Requirements:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in communications, journalism or related field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Previous reporting experience preferred; even better if you've covered sports.
• Proficiency on social media platforms; including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Reddit.
• Experience shooting and editing photos and video on a mobile device.
• Strong communication skills, news judgement and headline-writing ability.
• Ability to multitask and excel under intense deadline pressure.
• Ability to work collaboratively and efficiently.
• Strong writing, spelling and grammar skills; familiarity with AP style.
• Ability to work some nights and weekends.
• Comfort building a beat and communicating with athletes and coaches.
• This role requires a valid driver's license, reliable transportation and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.

How To Apply:

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don't limit your upload to a resume; show us what you've done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

Your resume - one to two pages.

A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.

Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you've produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.

It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.

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