Local Democracy Reporter - CoventryLive

Do you want to shine a light on the daily decisions of councils, to ensure politicians keep their promises and to break essential stories about public interest issues?

We are looking for someone to join us at Coventry Live as a Local Democracy Reporter to live and breathe the decisions being made by Coventry City Council
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From the state of roads to local schools to new recycling services, every one of us is affected by the decisions that councils make. You will be part of a team of 165 reporters working throughout the UK to hold local authorities to account through a BBC-supported service.

Your work will mean that everyone in Coventry will get to hear about what their council is doing in their name.

If you’re a politically-minded reporter ready to hold power to account and search for brilliant, engaging stories for our audience then this is the position for you!

This role is primarily home based (with access to our Birmingham hub). Due to the nature of the position, it is essential to be based in or around Coventry and be able to attend regular council meetings.

Hello, we’re Reach. Every day, our trusted news, stories and content connect with millions of people where they live – whether that’s on their social feed or at their neighbourhood newsstand; through their local community or their take on the hot topic of the day.

We're home to more than 120 trusted brands – from household names like the Mirror, Express, Daily Star and Daily Record, to local titles like the Manchester Evening News, MyLondon, Belfast Live and brands making a splash in the US like the Irish Star.

It’s our ability to understand people and the things that matter to them that makes us the UK and Ireland's largest commercial news publisher. We reach 70% of the UK's online population and speak to over 100 million social followers around the world. And we’re just getting started…

• A day in the life of a Local Democracy Reporter looks like this
• You’ll be covering the key business of Coventry City Council
  , as well as the political and social issues affecting the community
• Making sure you cover the council meetings and key decisions in a timely manner
• You will build contacts, understand and explore the key issues, write features and break exclusives with your work having the potential to also be shown on the BBC Homepage and used by other local media partners

• You are an NCTJ or NQJ qualified journalist, ideally with 100wpm shorthand skills (or be currently working towards this), with an understanding and interest in the issues of your local community
• Previous experience reporting on local government/councils is desirable
• You have the ability to pull the stories out of the local council meetings that our readers want to know about
• A good knowledge of social media and how you can use it to grow and engage our audience and engagement from the people in your area is an advantage
• You’re interested in local councils, keen to ensure transparency and integrity in local government and making sure local communities are heard
• You have excellent knowledge of Coventry and have a solid understanding of the patch you will be covering

We take good care of our people – and that means more than just a pay packet. Whatever your role, you’ll get a range of benefits, including:

• 25 days’ holiday (plus bank holidays), as well as an extra day after you’ve been with us for three, five and 10 years. We also have a scheme to help you buy extra holiday if you want.
• An extra day’s paid leave each year to volunteer for a cause close to your community or your heart.
• Big Moment Day – an extra day’s paid leave for a moment that matters to you – like getting married, moving house or welcoming a new addition to the family (human or furry!)
• Help saving for your retirement – we’ll match your company pension contributions up to 6% and you can contribute through salary sacrifice.
• Supportive and progressive people policies – we’re proud to have a range of policies to support people in their lives in and outside work, including enhanced family leave and policies to promote flexibility, inclusion and…