The Palm Beach Post , part of the USA Today Network, is seeking an energetic and engaging dining and restaurant reporter with a dedication to journalism who wants to live, work, play, and, best of all, dine in one of the hottest restaurant and dining scenes in the country.
The ideal candidate will bring a distinctive voice to the beat, displaying a talent for evocative prose equal to their excitement for fabulous cuisine. Coverage will highlight the region's rich culinary diversity from food truck BBQ to white linen fine dining, and the many points in-between.
The person hired for this position will be passionate about the community, cultivate sources and break news on restaurant openings and closings , follow trends in dining, write entertaining reviews and produce profiles of local restaurateurs, chefs and mixologists. The ideal candidate should want to immerse themselves in the Palm Beach County restaurant scene. Becoming a local expert will be paramount to regularly producing and updating deeply reported, best-of articles spotlighting everything from burger joints and pizzerias to romantic and waterfront restaurants. You also will be contributing to dining guides for visitors and locals ahead of holidays from Mother's Day to New Year ' s and also cover seasonal dining events.
This position is for a self-motivated journalist bringing many tools to the job: someone with a digital-first mindset who understands that excellent dining coverage is something people will pay to receive. You must be able to produce smartly crafted listicles and other alternate story forms as well as traditional content for online and print, occasionally on a tight deadline, with strong headline writing skills informed by our SEO training. The reporter will cultivate an engaging, active and inclusive social-media presence on various platforms. The reporter will coordinate with our visuals team but should have basic photo and video skills, and must be comfortable appearing on video, and at personal appearances at food-related events. Communicating effectively with editors and fellow reporters in our newsroom is another important aspect of the position.
Our top candidates will be creative thinkers who can bring their own ideas for dining journalism, based on their knowledge of the market and our audience. This is not a role for an "influencer." Our dining reporter must know how to report and write, as demonstrated by published work, in a newspaper, magazine or online site.
Occasional weekend and evening hours are required .
KEY CONSIDERATIONS:
Strong writing skills and a command of grammar and style.
Curiosity about everything to do with the food and dining scene
Experience with social media as a tool to build audience and as a source for beat development.
Experience with and interest in multimedia, including video and podcasting.
A self-starter who owns the beat yet works collaboratively with others locally and regionally to meet common goals.
A journalist committed to values of fairness, diversity, inclusion and professionalism.
REQUIREMENTS:
Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
At least five years ' experience as a reporter/writer.
Proven experience with content management systems and social media channels.
Good time management and organizational skills.
Driver's license and a car.
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 .
Your resume - one to two pages
A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job
Links to 3-5 online samples of your work. Show us what you've written , produced, or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do.
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.