Metro East Reporter

St. Louis Public Radio (STLPR), a multimedia nonprofit journalism organization and NPR member station, seeks a general assignment reporter to cover the Metro East region of St. Louis. We’re looking for someone who knows the Metro East…or is eager to become deeply rooted in it. This is a job for a reporter who appreciates the region’s history, understands its communities and wants to tell stories that reflect the people who live there.

The Metro East reporter will cover a large geographic area that includes several Illinois counties, including St. Clair, Madison, Monroe and others, as well as surrounding communities throughout southwestern Illinois. The beat includes fast-growing suburbs, historic river towns, local governments, schools and businesses and the political topics and figures who help shape policy in the region.

Strong candidates are skilled at developing sources and building relationships across the communities they cover. They are just as comfortable covering a city council meeting as they are pursuing an enterprise story or explaining a complex issue through the experiences of the people most affected. They have sharp news judgment, work independently and are always looking beyond the day's headlines for stories that matter to Metro East residents.

You’ll join an award-winning newsroom that covers communities across the bistate St. Louis region, in Rolla, Missouri and in Quincy, Illinois. The STLPR newsroom champions reporting that provides context and understanding and reflects the diverse voices and perspectives in our community. STLPR has a reputation as one of the most ambitious and innovative stations in the public radio system. Our reporters regularly have stories featured by NPR, Marketplace and other nationally syndicated programs.

The position is based in Illinois, with the reporter splitting time between an office in the Metro East and our main newsroom in St. Louis, so the ability to work independently while collaborating closely with editors and colleagues is essential. Radio experience is a plus, but not necessary. We're primarily looking for a strong journalist with excellent reporting and writing skills and a passion for local journalism.

• Research, report and produce stories and interviews for radio, digital and other platforms that serve audiences across the St. Louis region.
• Write, voice, produce and edit audio features for broadcast, digital and on-demand listening.
• Build and maintain a robust network of sources throughout the Metro East to break news, identify enterprise stories and deepen community connections.
• Cover local governments, public meetings and other institutions while holding decision-makers accountable.
• Balance daily news coverage with ambitious enterprise reporting, all while meeting deadlines across multiple platforms.

• Bachelor's degree in journalism or a related field or equivalent professional experience.
• Two or more years of professional experience as a reporter, producer or other journalism-related role.
• Experience thinking creatively about how to effectively tell stories on audio and digital platforms.
• Solid writing skills and familiarity with AP style.
• Experience reporting in the Metro East, preferred.
• Audio reporting experience, preferred.

The Metro East reporter is supervised by the Politics Editor.

None. This job is an STLPR Guild-eligible position.

$55,000 - $68,000 annual, commensurate with experience.