Reporter, Education

About WFYI

WFYI is a nonprofit organization providing trusted journalism, inspiring stories, and lifelong learning to Central Indiana and beyond for over 50 years. Through local content, PBS and NPR programming, WFYI connects audiences to trusted news, educational programming, and meaningful storytelling for an informed, inspired, and inclusive Indiana.

WFYI’s education reporter contributes to WFYI’s mission by producing accurate, fair, independent, and accessible journalism that helps audiences understand the education issues shaping students, families, schools, and communities across Indiana. Through daily, enterprise, and investigative stories centered on students and families, this position strengthens public understanding, supports informed civic participation, and connects local audiences to journalism that is relevant, useful, and accountable.

WFYI’s education reporter will cover how decisions made at the statehouse, in school board meetings, and in district offices shape the lives of students and families. This reporter will also examine whether public commitments to students, families, and communities are being met. Coverage may include issues such as persistent achievement and access gaps, the growth of charter schools and the private school voucher program, and the reshaping of the Indianapolis public education landscape.

Ideal candidates will be comfortable moving between a breaking story and a months-long investigation. As needed and assigned, this journalist will report in-depth digital investigations, sound‑rich audio features, daily news for web and newscasts, and video for social and television platforms. Strong candidates know how to find the human story inside a budget line or a legislative hearing and can make the stakes of education policy clear to families.

As WFYI’s journalism priorities and audience needs evolve, WFYI may adjust the assigned beat, coverage priorities, or reporting focus from time to time based on editorial priorities, staffing or organizational needs.

The essential functions and responsibilities listed below describe the primary duties of this position. Duties may be adjusted based on staffing, workload, and organizational needs. As WFYI’s journalism priorities and audience needs evolve, WFYI may adjust duties, work assignments, assigned beat, coverage priorities, or reporting focus from time to time based on editorial priorities, staffing, workload or organizational needs.

• Identify and pitch stories while working with the editorial leadership team to develop and report original stories that feature individuals with lived experience.
• Use clear and concise writing to explain complex topics and their significance.
• Report, write, and present breaking news, features, enterprise, and investigative stories as assigned.
• Adapt reporting focus, source development, and story planning as assigned when WFYI adjusts beats or coverage priorities to meet audience, editorial, staffing or organizational needs.

• Build and maintain a large network of sources.
• Conduct thorough research and news gathering, including capturing audio, video, photos, and supporting materials to enhance the depth and quality of coverage.
• Collaborate with the digital team to produce engaging content tailored for broadcast, digital, and social media platforms.
• Meet deadlines and follow WFYI’s editorial standards for accuracy, fairness, independence, clarity, and ethical journalism.

• Make regular appearances across media platforms, including broadcasts, social media, podcasts, and community events.
• Work with staff throughout WFYI to discover new stories and angles that ensure we are reporting for communities, not on communities.
• Develop reporting that can serve audiences locally, statewide, and, when appropriate, through regional or national public media distribution.

• Actively participate in editorial meetings and planning sessions, collaborating with editors and content teams to shape story direction, strengthen…