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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Feature Reporter

💰 $55,000 - $85,000

JournalismMediaContent CreationWritingCommunications

🎯 Role Definition

As a Feature Reporter, you will be the narrative architect of our publication. You move beyond the daily headlines to uncover the extraordinary stories of people, places, and ideas shaping our world. Your mission is to research, investigate, and write compelling long-form features that captivate, inform, and inspire our audience. This role requires a blend of journalistic rigor, creative storytelling, and a deep sense of empathy to bring complex subjects to life in a way that is both engaging and impactful for our readers.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • News Reporter / General Assignment Reporter
  • Staff Writer
  • Editorial Assistant / Junior Writer

Advancement To:

  • Senior Feature Reporter / Senior Writer
  • Investigative Editor / Features Editor
  • Broadcast Producer / Documentary Producer

Lateral Moves:

  • Content Strategist
  • Communications Specialist / PR Manager
  • Podcast Host / Producer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop, pitch, and execute compelling, in-depth feature stories that resonate with our target audience and highlight unique human-interest angles.
  • Conduct extensive research using a variety of sources, including public records, databases, academic studies, and expert interviews, to ensure factual accuracy and provide deep context.
  • Cultivate and maintain a diverse network of sources and contacts within various communities to generate exclusive story leads and gain insider perspectives.
  • Perform in-depth, sensitive interviews with a wide range of individuals, from public figures to ordinary people, demonstrating empathy and a knack for drawing out powerful narratives.
  • Write clean, engaging, and stylistically sophisticated copy under tight deadlines, adhering to AP style guidelines and the publication's specific tone of voice.
  • Collaborate closely with photographers, videographers, and graphic designers to develop a cohesive multimedia storytelling package for each feature.
  • Adapt and repurpose long-form content for various digital platforms, including social media, newsletters, and web-native formats, to maximize reach and engagement.
  • Meticulously fact-check all elements of your reporting—names, dates, statistics, and narrative claims—to uphold the highest standards of journalistic integrity and accuracy.
  • Stay consistently abreast of local, national, and industry-specific trends to identify timely and relevant feature story opportunities that have not been widely covered.
  • Travel as required, sometimes on short notice and for extended periods, to report on stories from the field, capturing the atmosphere and details that bring a location to life.
  • Manage multiple long-term projects simultaneously, from initial concept to final publication, demonstrating exceptional organizational and project management skills.
  • Utilize data journalism techniques, including analyzing datasets and creating visualizations, to uncover hidden trends and support narrative claims with empirical evidence.
  • Engage directly with our audience through social media, live events, and comment sections to build community, foster discussion, and gather feedback on your work.
  • Generate and report original story ideas that go beyond the daily news cycle, focusing on character-driven narratives, deep dives, and investigative angles.
  • Work constructively with editors through multiple rounds of revisions, demonstrating a receptive and collaborative attitude toward feedback to elevate the final story.
  • File public records requests (e.g., FOIA) and navigate bureaucratic systems to obtain crucial documents and information for investigative features.
  • Uphold strict ethical standards in all reporting activities, protecting vulnerable sources and handling sensitive information with discretion and integrity.
  • Master the use of our content management system (CMS) to publish and format stories, ensuring they are optimized for search engines (SEO) and user experience.
  • Develop deep expertise in a specific beat or topic area (e.g., technology, arts & culture, social justice) to become a go-to voice on the subject.
  • Produce or assist in producing audio or video components for features, including conducting on-camera interviews, recording narration, and basic editing.

Secondary Functions

  • Actively participate in daily and weekly editorial meetings, pitching new story ideas and contributing to content strategy discussions.
  • Collaborate with the audience engagement team to develop social media campaigns and promotional materials for your features.
  • Assist in fact-checking and proofreading content from other writers to maintain a high standard of quality across the publication.
  • Occasionally represent the publication at community events, panels, or on broadcast media to discuss your work and build our brand.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • AP Style Proficiency: Expert-level knowledge and application of Associated Press style.
  • Content Management Systems (CMS): Experience publishing and formatting content in systems like WordPress, Arc, or similar.
  • SEO for Journalists: Understanding of how to write and optimize headlines and articles for search engine visibility.
  • Multimedia Editing: Basic to intermediate proficiency in video (Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro) and audio (Adobe Audition, Audacity) editing.
  • Data Journalism: Ability to analyze spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets) and familiarity with data visualization tools (Tableau, Datawrapper).
  • Public Records Requests: Experience filing and tracking FOIA and state-level public records requests.
  • Digital Photography & Videography: Competence in capturing high-quality photos and video with DSLR cameras or smartphones.
  • Social Media Management: Professional use of platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for reporting and audience engagement.
  • Research Databases: Proficiency with tools like LexisNexis, PACER, and other investigative databases.
  • Multimedia Storytelling Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Shorthand, Atavist, or Flourish to create interactive stories.

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional Storytelling: An innate ability to identify and craft a compelling narrative with a clear arc, character development, and emotional weight.
  • In-depth Interviewing: Skill in building rapport and asking insightful, probing questions to elicit powerful and authentic responses.
  • Empathy & Interpersonal Skills: The ability to connect with people from all walks of life and handle sensitive subjects with compassion and respect.
  • Tenacity & Resilience: The drive to pursue a story through obstacles, rejections, and long timelines without giving up.
  • Insatiable Curiosity: A genuine interest in the world and a deep-seated desire to understand how things work and why they matter.
  • Superior Written Communication: The ability to write with clarity, elegance, and a distinctive voice that engages and holds the reader's attention.
  • Deadline-Oriented Time Management: Excellent organizational skills to juggle multiple projects and consistently meet publication deadlines.
  • Ethical Judgment: A strong moral compass and unwavering commitment to journalistic ethics, fairness, and accuracy.
  • Adaptability: The flexibility to pivot on a story, embrace new technologies, and respond to a rapidly changing media landscape.
  • Collaborative Spirit: A positive, team-oriented attitude and the ability to work effectively with editors, photographers, and other team members.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's degree in Journalism (e.g., from Columbia, Northwestern, Berkeley, etc.).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Journalism
  • Communications
  • English
  • Political Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3-7 years of professional reporting experience, preferably with a portfolio that includes long-form feature work.

Preferred:

  • A proven track record of producing high-impact, character-driven feature stories for a reputable digital or print publication.
  • Experience reporting on a dedicated beat or area of expertise.
  • A portfolio of published work (clips) is required for consideration.
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