Trending and Engagement Reporter-Gulf Coast

Date Posted	August 12, 2024
Industry	Newspapers
Specialty	Not Specified
Job Status	Full-time

Description:

Trending and Engagement Reporter-Gulf Coast

Full Time

Professional

New Orleans, LA, US

Reports to: Breaking News Editor, Deputy Editor for Audience

The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com is seeking a sharp, audience-focused journalist to join our team at the largest news organization in Louisiana as we expand our coverage of the Gulf Coast region, one of the fastest growing areas for tourism in the U.S.

The trending and engagement reporter will cover a variety of topics that appeal to New Orleans residents who regularly travel or commute to the Gulf Coast and tourists visiting coastal Mississippi, Alabama and Florida looking for things to experience, places to eat, people to meet or attractions that can’t be missed.

This position lives at the intersection of tourism, food, culture, transportation and breaking news, and no two days will look the same. The trending and engagement reporter will also use engagement tools to drive audience growth around trending Gulf Coast content and write utility and evergreen guides as a service to our readers.

This position is based in New Orleans, but occasional travel to the Gulf Coast is possible. Night and weekend work is also required for this role.

There is no shortage of interesting, important, and downright fun stories in the Deep South, and we’re looking for someone who can use digital tools and modern storytelling approaches to engage audiences in the Deep South and across the U.S.

You should enjoy working in a collaborative newsroom environment, and always be seeking new ways to engage readers while upholding our standards of fairness and accuracy.

In this role, you will:

•Report and write about stories related to the Gulf Coast, the area from New Orleans to the Florida panhandle, including Destin and 30A.

•Identify topics of high importance to locals and tourists related to the area, including new restaurants, growing pains, commuting and development.

•Join Facebook groups around tourism, food and development to learn more about Gulf Coast communities, build sources and find story ideas.

•Experiment with engaging, first-person and reader-driven storytelling.

•Write exceptional headlines and social media share text that draw readers into your reporting.

•Identify and report stories with viral, statewide interest, written in a way that’s easy to consume for digital audiences.

•Assist with reporting new headlines in large breaking news events.

•Use engagement tools, including Google Trends, to identify topics with high interest to audiences in or visiting the Gulf Coast.

•Collaborate with the digital team to experiment with new and trending story verticals, including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram reels.

•Analyze our stories’ digital performance – from pageviews and users, to time spent and digital conversions – to help make decisions about future content.

The ideal candidate should have at least one year of experience in a newsroom or online publication. Experience writing breaking news and trending stories is preferred. The candidate should also be knowledgeable in using Google Trends, digital analytics tools, SEO strategies and social media platforms.

The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com is an equal opportunity employer, committed to recruiting, developing, and promoting a diverse workforce while providing unique opportunities and career paths for our employees. We encourage applicants of all backgrounds and experience levels to apply.

This position offers a competitive salary and benefits package that includes medical, vision and dental insurance, short term disability, long term disability and a 401K plan.