About the Company:  

The company is a high-profile, well-funded startup supported by some of the top names in the media industry. Solely focused on the Baltimore area, they are creating a new paradigm for digital-first, cross-channel local media. Their content will extend across web, mobile (app), radio (terrestrial and satellite), and video (TV and digital). Their vision is to be the leading provider of news and lifestyle content in the Baltimore area. 

 About the Job:  

The Baltimore Banner is hiring a reporter to cover the environment, climate change, and the effects Baltimore’s industry and industrial past have on the communities that live there. The reporter would produce enterprise, investigative and occasional breaking news coverage in various formats for a digital news outlet. The position should focus on how climate and the environment affect communities within our coverage areas and what elected leaders, institutions, and others are--or are not doing -- to address those issues. The reporter should focus mainly on urban environmental issues, such as the health-related consequences of lead poisoning or asthma, the effects of industrial pollution, air pollution from Baltimore’s trash incinerator and other sources, and the environmental impact of transportation and housing decisions. The reporter would monitor federal, state, and local government legislation and policymaking for climate and environmental issues.

We are a mission-driven organization focused on local news and improving the community. We expect all candidates to believe sincerely in that mission. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive newsroom with positive morale and culture. 

Responsibilities: 

  • Report and write about climate, the environment, and other related stories in a variety of formats: investigative; enterprise; explainers; daily and more
  • Produce coverage that connects issues of climate change and the environment with the effects on people living in our coverage area
  • Produce coverage that holds public officials accountable for their decisions – and the results – and keeps the focus on the impact on, and needs of, the communities we cover
  • Focus on urban environmental issues, such as environment-related health consequences, the effect of Baltimore’s past and present industry and policy and development decisions about transportation, housing, and other issues that affect the environment
  • Cover efforts to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and what those efforts mean for people who work and live on and around the Bay
  • Track environmental and climate-related legislation, policies, and research by federal, state, and local governments and academic and advocacy organizations
  • Represent The Banner in the community as needed -- in person or on television or radio appearances 
  • Use and understand newsroom analytics to hone and identify the coverage that serves readers

Requirements: 

  • A minimum of 5 years of experience in journalism, including environmental and climate coverage
  • Proven ability to write about environmental and climate issues in a sharp, innovative way that makes complex subjects engaging to readers
  • Background or training in science a plus
  • Experience using data to report and visualize stories is a plus
  • Comfortable in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
  • Familiarity with open records laws and an ability to help reporters track down essential documents
  • Teamwork and willingness to collaborate with others
  • Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to give and receive constructive feedback
  • Willingness to work some nights and weekends as news dictates
  • A commitment to upholding journalistic values and ethics 

The Venetoulis Institute embraces diversity and inclusion, and we are wholeheartedly committed to being proactive in inspiring a culture of inclusion across our organization. We are dedicated to establishing an organization that reflects the fundamental respect for different ways of working and living, and we assure every employee the opportunity to reach their full potential.

 

 

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