Your chance to hold those in power to account as a local democracy reporter

Holding those in power to account is at the very core of journalism.

You don’t need to look far to see the power of effective local journalism either. And despite times of uncertainty for the print media our exclusive reporting has exposed decisions affecting your community that may have gone through unchallenged.

So in a groundbreaking step to further bolster the power of local reporting, we are recruiting local democracy reporters who will investigate, scrutinize and report on our local government.

Analyzing how public money is spent will be key to this role and new reporters will be expected to examine the everyday inner workings of local government.

The newest additions to the multi-award winning Johnston Press group will tell the stories that really matter to our local communities. Communities want a transparent council and the new reporters will be responsible for bringing essential news to the public’s attention.

The new reporters will have an in-depth understanding of the workings of local government and be able to deliver clear, accessible content for our readers.

The new reporters must have a track record of delivering accurate and original content on strict deadlines, with all content being politically-neutral and balanced. Reporters will be expected to deliver fresh reports on a daily basis, and also provide multimedia content, such as live two-way interviews for broadcast content, when required. The ideal candidates will also have a solid knowledge of social media and understand how to use it to drive audience engagement.

Candidates will also be qualified to NCE-standard or equivalent with two years experience working to daily deadlines alongside a shorthand proficiency of 100 words per minute.

This exciting and rare opportunity is part of an innovative collaboration between the BBC and regional publishers. This role is a two-year fixed term contract. As part of this, the successful candidates can look forward to a competitive salary, holiday entitlement, pension scheme plus other benefits available to you as a Johnston Press employee.

To apply please send your CV and a covering letter to [email protected], please ensure you include the application reference and location in your email. Deadline for applications Thursday March 8, 2018.