Job Description

High School Sports Reporter

The Minnesota Star Tribune is an innovative modern media organization building on an extraordinary 157-year legacy. With seven Pulitzer Prizes and numerous other accolades, we stand as a beacon of journalistic excellence in Minnesota. We are the heart and voice of the North.

Our mission is to build a better Minnesota by connecting us with the people, ideas, and stories that strengthen our communities. We're seeking dynamic leaders who are passionate about journalism and democracy to help shape this future. If you are excited about reinventing one of our state's most trusted institutions and leading us into a new era of growth and excellence, we want to hear from you.

Job Summary: High School Sports Reporter

The coverage of high school sports is a priority for the Minnesota Star Tribune and its Strib Varsity team. Our high school sports sub-brand will be the single best destination for preps sports interactivity and coverage.

We are seeking a resourceful reporter and strong writer to cover high school sports in the Twin Cities and across Minnesota. You should have a track record of producing contextual breaking news, in-depth enterprise, accountability journalism, and game reports. You must be able to develop sources within the prep sports community and among the many people who pass through the high school sports landscape in Minnesota.

You will write about the wonderful stories happening in high school sports, inspect the many issues and cover the best teams, tournaments and student-athletes. You will be expected to drive the conversation around high school sports in Minnesota; we are the go-to source, and you want to develop into our go-to reporter. You should bring a strong story-telling instinct to your reporting and writing. You should be eager to tell stories that need telling and unafraid of tough issues. You can't wait to publish deeply engaging stories that readers are not able to ignore.

You also will work constantly with other high school sports reporters, high school sports editors and key editors from around the newsroom. Collaboration will happen every day, and you should invite that. Being an A+ teammate is a must.

We require solid news judgment, skilled writing and an aggressive approach to getting news to our readers quickly, on all channels and platforms. You should have a demonstrated track record of balancing daily news demands while producing a steady stream of short- and long-term enterprise stories.

You will:

• Be relentlessly audience centric. Seek out and use data about where our audience is and where we can reach new audiences and work to break news and produce enterprise that meets audience needs and interests.
• Be enterprising and entrepreneurial. Our readers most value news and insightful reporting not seen elsewhere. Staying informed about evolving issues and emerging developments while resisting incremental, turn-of-the screw coverage will result in stories of interest to statewide and regional audiences.
• Be a watchdog willing to hold agencies and private interests accountable for how they wield power and influence.
• Cover the most important games and write about the most newsworthy and interesting people.
• Collaborate with reporters on the Preps and Sports teams and editors in other newsroom departments to determine daily, weekly and ongoing coverage strategies on multiple platforms.
• Collaborate with your editors and the Audience team to build avenues for engagement and amplification of your work and the Star Tribune.
• Leverage other mediums, such as audio and video and the camera on your cell phone, to reach wide audiences.
• Meet deadlines on stories from the quick-turn to the long-range.
• Work regularly from the Star Tribune's downtown Minneapolis headquarters.

Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree in journalism or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience at least two years at a daily news outlet.
• A portfolio of published work demonstrating solid news judgment, deep reporting, engaging writing and comfort with a broad range of topics.
• A solid grasp of data and analysis tools.
• A thorough understanding of most sports.
• An ability to connect with sources and subjects from diverse backgrounds and include overlooked or ignored viewpoints.
• High standards and a commitment to fairness and accuracy.
• The ability to multitask and juggle priorities on deadline.
• A commitment to using 21st century digital tools, tracking and analyzing online audience trends and building strategies to engage readers.
• Ability to meet deadlines, prioritize assignments, track story budgets and multitask in a high-pressure environment.
• A commitment to the Star Tribune's standards, mission and values, including journalism that reflects the diversity of Minnesota and the Star Tribune's audience.

More about The Minnesota Star Tribune

At The Minnesota Star Tribune, we recognize that our employees are our greatest asset, and we are committed to their happiness, growth, and well-being. Here's a snapshot of the exceptional benefits we offer:

• Modern Downtown Office: Enjoy a state-of-the-art workspace with a free fitness center, collaborative center, golf simulator, and a rooftop patio.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Includes commuting subsidy, medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Wellness & Work-Life Balance: Participate in our wellness program with financial incentives, generous paid time off, flexible holidays, one volunteer day, and two wellness days.
• Financial & Family Support: Benefit from a 401(k) with company match, paid parental and caregiving leave, hybrid work arrangements, and tuition reimbursement.
• Additional Perks: Access to an employee assistance program, pet insurance, flexible spending accounts, and health savings accounts.

Honored in 2023 with Diversity MBA's inaugural Top 25 Outstanding Leadership and Diversity Impact Awards, we are proud of our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Even if you don't meet every single requirement for this role, we encourage you to apply. At The Minnesota Star Tribune, we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

Pay Range

Annual pay for this position ranges from $60,252 to $84,268 a year, based on the A1 through A4-scale level in the contract of the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild.

Compensation for the role will depend on several factors, including a candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies and experience and may fall outside of the range shown. The Minnesota Star Tribune offers a competitive total rewards package, which includes a 401(K) match, healthcare coverage medical, dental, and vision, life, disability, paid time off, and a broad range of other benefits.

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