CLOSING DATE: January 10, 2018
THE Press and Journal – Scotland’s best-selling quality newspaper and the UK’s biggest regional – is offering talented and ambitious reporters a chance to work at the cutting edge of an innovative collaboration to widen the media’s reach inside our local authorities.
Local papers pride themselves on their coverage of council business because they are the heartbeat of local communities.
In a historic partnership with the BBC, we are now seeking four LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTERS to complement and extend our coverage of local authorities.
We can offer not only a vibrant and exciting political canvas on which to work in Scotland, but also some of the best scenery and quality of life in the UK.
The Press and Journal and Evening Express are helping to roll out the BBC’s Local News Partnership around the country, which is creating and funding scores of local democracy journalists to support media coverage of every local authority in the country.
We have been awarded contracts to attract four reporters to provide top-quality council reports from the Highlands, Moray, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen.
Our aim is to re-invent how we approach council reporting – making our local authorities more accountable and transparent than ever. This will open up public scrutiny of the work of our councillors and council officials to a level never seen before, allowing hundreds of thousands of people affected every day by council decisions a wider understanding of what is going on.
We need journalists who are fully-qualified to the industry standard, or equivalent, and have a track record of covering local government matters.
We have four Local Democracy Reporters posts available – one covering Highlands Council and based in our Inverness office; one covering Moray and based in Elgin; and two covering Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils from our Aberdeen office.
These jobs could appeal to someone moving from a weekly onto a daily paper, or an established senior reporter who wishes to diversify into this exciting specialist role.
Whatever your background, you will have the same common aim – to scrutinise in detail how councils operate, make decisions and spend public money. Many council stories already appear on our front pages, but there is potential for lots more.
To be a serious contender, you must:
* Be a senior journalist, qualified to NCE-standard or equivalent, with two years’ experience;
* Have shorthand speed of 100wpm;
* Have the ability to report in a clear, precise and balanced manner, with close attention to accuracy;
* Have excellent newsgathering skills to spot great public interest stories in a mass of council papers, or from a comment in a council debate; and
* Have a good understanding of how local government works.
This really is a piece of journalistic history in the making and a golden opportunity for reporters looking to push ahead with their careers in the busy Press and Journal and Evening Express newsrooms. This is also a chance to be involved in a high-profile project which allows you to shape its future success.
This is a full-time, two-year fixed contract. We offer a generous package including 34 days holiday pro rata, health cash plan, gym discount, childcare vouchers, excellent pension, a competitive salary and many more staff discounts and benefits.
Apply by sending your CV and covering letter to: Richard Neville, editor-in-chief, The Press and Journal, Lang Stracht, Aberdeen AB15 6DF
Or e-mail
Closing date for applications is January 10, 2018.
Contact: Richard Neville
Email: P&Jeditorialjobs@ajl.co.uk
