The Associated Press seeks a temporary reporter (14 weeks, beginning 1/7/12) to cover state government and politics in Little Rock, Ark.
Reporting to the Arkansas Oklahoma News Editor, this temporary reporter will focus on political and government news from Arkansas that has relevance both inside the state and across the globe. He/she should be able to produce content in multiple formats (text, photo, video and audio) and will work with the Arkansas Oklahoma News Editor to set the beat's agenda and produce reporting for the AP's newspaper, online and broadcast markets.
The successful candidate will:
identify and develop stories that break news, have impact and are exclusive to the AP.
report and produce compelling enterprise for state, national and global audiences, with a strong focus on accountability journalism.
execute those stories in all formats, in a timely fashion and under deadline pressure.
report and produce content on deadline in competitive situations.
Qualifications:
Candidates should have demonstrated excellence as a beat reporter, and have a proven record of developing sources, breaking news, originating story ideas and writing about complex issues in a clear and engaging way. Applicants need to understand the growing importance of multimedia news and be able to coordinate with AP staffers from other formats. Other qualifications:
Bachelors degree or equivalent experience.
Authorization to work in the U.S. will be mandatory.
Advanced-level professional competency in written and spoken English language.
Ability to recognize and develop newsworthy stories of global interest and work accurately under deadline pressure.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to juggle multiple projects across formats.
Demonstrated aggressive use of public records and computer-assisted reporting experience is a plus.
The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats. Founded in 1846, AP today is the largest and most trusted source of independent news and information. On any given day more than half the world's population sees news from AP.
AP seeks to build an inclusive organization grounded in respect for differences. We support all aspects of diversity and provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability or status as a veteran in accordance with applicable nondiscrimination laws.
Contact Kelly Kissel at kkissel@ap.org, 501-225-3668.