Reporter - Publication

Job Summary

St. Cloud Live is a fast-growing, emerging digital and print news publication dedicated to delivering the local news, entertainment, and stories that matter most to the St. Cloud metro area. With a strong focus on digital innovation and audience engagement, St. Cloud Live’s journalism has earned widespread recognition, including nine awards from the Minnesota Newspaper Association in 2024, with four first-place honors!

Located just an easy drive from the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro, St. Cloud offers the perfect blend of small-city living and access to big-city amenities. Residents enjoy a thriving local arts and culture scene, abundant parks and trails, growing restaurants and breweries, and community events that make everyday life vibrant and connected. With a lower cost of living than the Twin Cities and a strong sense of community, St.

Cloud is an appealing place to grow your career and your life. St. Cloud Live is part of Forum Communications Company, a fifth-generation, family-owned media organization with more than 20 publications across the Upper Midwest, collectively reaching more than 5 million readers each month.

• Research and craft compelling stories that adhere to editorial and AP style and format standards for publication across both print and digital platforms - following leads and responding quickly to breaking news.
• Find, research, and tell stories tailored to the editor’s needs and target audience.
• Stay up to date on the latest current events - local politics, public safety and education topics, community events, and more.
• Become an active part of the local and surrounding communities, developing sources and partnerships as a trusted source of information.
• Contact and interview sources, and research tips and leads.
• Displaying sound editorial judgements, including a thorough understanding and application of the law, relevant codes of practice, and ethical principles.
• Drive audience loyalty and digital growth through engaging and timely content, developing unique story ideas and content around key categories that drive digital memberships and reader engagement.
• Collaborate with digital teams and make use of available tools and technology to gain insight into story metrics, determining new ways to create and present content online.
• Embrace a creative, collaborative approach with other team members and with other FCC departments and locations.
• Contribute to the overall advancement of digital initiatives; share and promote digital content through various social media channels.
• Maintain prompt and reliable attendance.

• Perform additional duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Mass Communications, or a related field preferred, or equivalent professional reporting/writing experience.
• 3+ years of previous writing experience for a newspaper, website, magazine, or specialty publication strongly preferred.
• Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with a solid grasp of AP style.
• Photography and basic photo editing experience preferred, and a strong commitment to journalistic integrity and ethics.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships with community members and business leaders alike.
• Strong news judgment and the ability to identify compelling story angles that resonate with local audiences.
• Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines and organize multiple assignments, while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail using a Web-based content management system.
• Familiarity with digital publishing tools, social media platforms, audience engagement strategies, and digital analytics/digital tools is a plus.
• Willingness and ability to work…