Coastal Climate Reporter at McClatchy in Okatie, South Carolina

Job Description:

The Island Packet in Hilton Head Island is hiring a coastal climate reporter to cover environmental issues along the coast of South Carolina. 

The position will focus on accountability stories and solutions journalism, writing stories that hold leaders and institutions accountable while highlighting success stories. You’ll teach our readers about things such as sea-level rise, beach erosion, flood insurance, the seafood industry and how all of those things affect our daily lives.

The reporter will build sources across the state, balance enterprise and daily reporting and collaborate with journalists across McClatchy’s South Carolina papers, including The State in Columbia and the Sun News in Myrtle Beach. 

Immerse yourself in one of the most beautiful places in the country and do the kind of work that made you want to get into journalism in the first place. Hilton Head Island is 12 miles of beauty, wildlife, recreation, sun and sand. It is also 12 miles of tension – between residents and tourists, between native Islanders and affluent retirees, between preservationists and those who think we must move forward, and more.

The Island Packet is a seven-year-in-a-row winner of South Carolina’s newspaper of the year contest with a history of great community reporting, such as how our love of nature was contributing to a rash of deadly accidents, and how the poor and naive are exploited to prop up a workforce to keep a shiny tourism industry humming.

The Island Packet is part of McClatchy, a digitally driven company focused on innovation, with newsrooms in 30 communities in the United States. 

In this role, you will need to:

• Focus on stories that build readership
• Think about audience first and always, with a commitment to tactics that grow readership.
• Master engaging multimedia storytelling
• Demonstrate speed, competitiveness and SEO savvy
• Work well in a team environment. 

The successful candidate should have a college degree or equivalent work experience and be able to show a history of producing enterprising journalism. Also:

• Strong writing skills, excellent news judgment and a demonstrated ability to “see the story” that is going to matter to readers.
• Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism.
• Ability to build source networks and bring a constant flow of story ideas.
• Ability to work collaboratively to aggressively tackle stories.
• Comfort with a job that will be demanding, fast-paced and constantly evolving.
• Facility with data, public records and business reports.

To apply, include a persuasive cover letter, your resume and four to six examples of your work.

About McClatchy:

Our impact is growing every day. 30 growing markets. Over 65 million monthly readers. 57 Pulitzer Prizes. A strong portfolio of dynamic partnerships and smart investments. Our award-winning journalism, digital reach, and commitment to innovative growth have never been stronger. 

As a member of the McClatchy family, you are part of a flexible, empowering, and exciting culture dedicated to creating a work/life balance and consistent opportunities for growth—a place where you have a voice and the ability to impact our future. It’s an exciting time to be here. Our company is experiencing the most transformative period in its history. We’re growing rapidly in the digital space and delivering award-winning journalism in innovative ways.

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