Job Description
Job Title – Reporter (The MJ)
Division – Hemming Information Services
Reports to – Editor
Main Purpose of Job
Sourcing and writing news to weekly deadlines for The MJ, and to daily deadlines for www.TheMJ.co.uk. To produce news to established editorial standards and to represent the magazine and Hemming Group in the local government market.
Key Responsibilities
Gathering and generating news
Assisting News Editor in establishing the weekly news lists
Sourcing news and writing for the web
Promoting content through social media
Feature writing and using feature content to generate news
Ensuring editorial quality of the magazine and web is of a high standard
Representing the magazine and other Hemming Group products to the local government market
Activities
Writing news – from lead stories to briefs
Establishing and maintaining contacts within the local government industry
Monitoring news sources for stories – from newspapers, magazines, internet, press releases and contacts
Passing potential feature leads to Features Editor and feature writing
Working with other members of staff to develop the strategy of the magazine
Liaising with/assisting News Editor in establishing weekly news list and daily contributions to the website
Providing photographs, where possible, to accompany stories
Attending events to report and to represent the magazine within the market
Maintain and improve the quality and accuracy of editorial
Sourcing letters for the letters page
Writing/sourcing materials for the people page
Operating the web content management system and uploading content from the magazine onto the web
Success criteria
The news content of the magazine and website are of the highest quality
The profile and reputation of the magazine and website grows in the market
Increased number of ‘off-diary’ and exclusive news stories
The magazine is produced weekly within deadlines, and the website is updated regularly by the reporter
The competition will tend to follow our initiatives
Maintain good working relations with colleagues
Person Specification
Ideally, candidates should have previous news reporting experience on either a local newspaper or a weekly trade news title and experience of operating a web content management system.
A social care and/or public service background would be advantageous but is not essential. HTML training would also be desirable.
How to apply
To apply please send your CV and covering letter to i.hammond@hgluk.com