Job Description

DALLAS ACCOUNTABILITY REPORTER

KERA is hiring a creative, enterprising Dallas Accountability Reporter dedicated to high-impact journalism.  

WHO WE ARE:
Serving the country’s fifth-largest media market, KERA reaches more than 4.5 million people monthly through KERA TV , , , and . For more than 60 years, North Texans have turned to KERA as a destination for community engagement and lifelong learning.

As we seek to recognize and reflect our audience and communities, we encourage applicants from all backgrounds and points of view to consider employment opportunities at KERA.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Dallas Accountability Reporter is a full-time position that is part of KERA’s growing newsroom. The Dallas Accountability Reporter will join KERA’s Government Accountability Team.

The team dives deep into public policy and governing, with a focus on holding local and regional officials accountable for the decisions they make and the money they control. The team’s coverage focuses on Dallas City Hall, Dallas County government and will ultimately expand to cover other North Texas municipalities, along with state and national officials. The coverage will range from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative projects for KERA’s digital and broadcast platforms.

The ideal candidate is a fearless journalist with knowledge of and experience covering municipal government and policy. We are looking for a creative storyteller who is audience-centered and able to tell stories using data. The reporter must be versatile, resourceful and resilient – and bring context to daily enterprise stories as well as deeper dives.

This is an FLSA classified non-exempt position and is eligible for overtime. The position directly reports to the Executive Editor.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Focus on accountability journalism. Find creative ways to report on everything from breaking news to in-depth projects. The goal: High impact with deep substance.
•   Deliver stories that are accurate, fair, meticulously reported and produced, and provide context for our audiences.
•   Use data and public records to find, inform and tell stories for digital, broadcast and social platforms.
• Develop and maintain broad ranges of sources representing the diverse North Texas community.
• Use social media as a news-gathering tool to help shape and promote coverage and build our audience and relationships. 
• Think creatively with the audience team about the best ways to present, publish and tell these stories and engage audiences.
• Collaborate proactively with The Texas Newsroom and other local, regional and national partnerships.
• Engage with the public and participate in digital and in-person events.
• Foster a collaborative and inclusive culture in the newsroom, contribute compelling story ideas and experiment with innovative storytelling techniques.
• Participate in fundraising and engagement activities as assigned .
• Participate in extensive training opportunities in the newsroom, in departments across KERA and across the state with The Texas Newsroom.

As a KERA employee:

• Work in a manner that is consistent with KERA’s mission, vision and values; and maintain compliance with all company policies and procedures
• Perform additional duties as assigned   

This list of job duties is not exhaustive and is subject to regular reviews and updates.  

WHAT WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL:

We believe a strong organization includes employees from a range of backgrounds, with different skills, experiences and passions. If you don't meet every job qualification but have some of these skills and think you’re the right person for the job, we'd like to hear from you. Please apply and tell us more about yourself.

• A minimum of 3 years in journalism or relevant experience.
•   Proven ability to quickly write, voice and produce radio and/or digital stories.
• Passionate and enthusiastic about public media journalism and serving a diverse North Texas audience.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity in reporting and sourcing.
• Solid knowledge of Associated Press style, ability to exercise sound news judgment and follow KERA/NPR ethics and editorial standards.

BONUS IF YOU BRING:

• Experience with one or more of the following: digital and/or audio production; multimedia production, particularly photography or video; hands-on audio editing and innovative audio storytelling; working with one or more content management systems; other relevant technical expertise.
• Knowledge of: FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) process, computer-assisted reporting, and data-driven reporting, as well as familiarity with legal issues related to investigative news reporting.
• Knowledge of North Texas people, cultures, issues and geography as well as national and international issues and events.
• Working knowledge of Spanish and/or other languages common in Texas.

SALARY RANGE

$58-$68,000 annually, depending on experience.

LOCATION
We expect that this position will work out of our Dallas office at least 25% of the time.  (equivalent to 10 hours per week).

HOW TO APPLY
Complete the application on KERA’s employment page and attach a resume and links to recent audio/digital work samples.  

· Add an optional cover letter indicating why you’re excited about joining the KERA team.

APPLICATION TIMELINE:
We generally close roles 2-4 weeks after posting. The hiring process may continue for several weeks after the closing of the role depending on the number of applicants.

KERA IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

KERA believes that diversity is important to our success. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, religion, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law.

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