Arts Access Reporter

Job Description

KERA, the public media organization serving North Texas, and The Dallas Morning News are looking for a reporter for its arts journalism partnership.   

WHO WE ARE:
KERA reaches more than 4.5 million people monthly through KERA TV, KERA News, KXT, WRR, KERA Arts and the Denton Record-Chronicle. For more than 60 years, North Texans have turned to KERA as a destination for trusted educational programming and initiatives, community engagement and lifelong learning.  
 
As we seek to recognize and reflect the increasing diversity among our audiences, we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and with diverse perspectives to consider employment opportunities at KERA. 

ABOUT THE COLLABORATION
We are North Texas’ two largest media organizations and we’re collaborating to reimagine the coverage of arts, music and culture through the lens of access and equity.  

What does that mean? We’ve raised community and philanthropic dollars to fund a small team of arts journalists who produce audio and digital stories that center, serve and engage a younger, more diverse local audience.  

North Texas is home to 7.5 million people. It’s the 4th largest public media market in the country. It includes Dallas (42% Hispanic, 24% Black); Fort Worth (median resident age of 33); Denton (home of University of North Texas); and a constellation of cities and suburbs with unique cultural identities. 

This team has been built to experiment, to take risks, to try things, to learn things, to make a measurable impact. Its reporters contribute on digital platforms, KERA FM radio newscasts and talk shows, Dallas Morning News print packages and social media.    

Our two organizations have the resources, tools, contacts and expertise to make most anything possible. Let’s build something great together that can become a national model for a new kind of arts journalism.  

But first, we need you.  

POSITION SUMMARY
The Arts Access Reporter directly reports to the Arts Access Editor and will also work closely with the VP of Arts.

A vital role for this team is the Arts Access Reporter. We need you to be curious, smart, persistent, versatile and confident. You are someone who thrives on finding and telling interesting stories, but also has the focus to get them done. You know how to manage and hit multiple deadlines. 

You are able to pivot quickly and work on a range of stories, from breaking news to enterprise, in a collaborative workflow with editors, reporters, digital and photo/video teams from both of our newsrooms. 

You are energized by people and eager to build connections with communities of every kind to inform and enrich your sourcing and storytelling. You love trying new things and are excited to experiment with new story forms to reach new and underserved audiences where they are.

You have an interest (possibly an obsession) with culture. You know where the great conversations are happening because you put audiences first. You respect, value and want to tell more stories about Black, Latino, indigenous, Asian, and other people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community. You want your work to matter. 

This is a full-time, FLSA classified non-exempt position, which is eligible for overtime.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Create and publish audience-centered short- and long-form digital content for KERA and The News platforms, including radio/audio, print and digital 
• Contribute social media content, such as hosting Instagram Live conversations or shooting TikTok video 
• Create budget lines for your stories, track your source diversity and other organizing duties related to your work as needed
• Develop robust sourcing that reflects the diversity of arts, music, and culture in North Texas
• Engage regularly as a team member with younger and diverse audiences, from in-person events to social and digital media (e.g. X, Instagram livestreams and podcasts) to develop sourcing, identify trends and find story ideas
• Contribute to new product development (e.g. email newsletter, podcasts, events database)
• Participate in digital and in-person events as a representative of the arts alliance to help engage new audiences
• Participate in on-air fundraising as needed and requested
• Other duties as assigned
   

As a KERA employee:  

• Be an active participant in KERA’s work towards equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging   
• Work in a manner that is consistent with KERA’s mission, vision and values; and maintain compliance with all company policies and procedures     
• Perform additional duties as assigned 

This list of job duties is not exhaustive and is subject to regular reviews and updates.
 

Job Requirements

WHAT YOU NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL:
We believe a strong organization includes employees from a range of backgrounds, with different skills and experiences. If you do not meet every position qualification but have some of these skills and feel you could be the right candidate for the job, we would like to hear from you. Please apply and tell us more about yourself.

• 1-3 years relevant journalism and/or reporting experience
• Ability to conceive, report and execute compelling, accurate, fact-based content in your own unique style
• Familiarity with, and ability to adhere to, common journalism ethics and standards 
• Passionate and enthusiastic about engaging younger and diverse audiences with content about arts, music and culture  
• Organized and detail-oriented with ability to communicate and coordinate with multiple teams under deadline pressure

Employment is contingent on a post-offer pre-employment background check. This role requires a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation and the minimum liability insurance required by state law.  

BONUS IF YOU BRING:

• Audio producing experience/familiarity with Adobe Audition
• Photo/video experience
• Experience creating or managing effective strategies for outreach and engagement on digital and social platforms  

SALARY RANGE
$58,000-$65,000 annually depending on experience

BENEFITS

• Generous vacation (3 weeks), sick (8 days), personal time (2 days) and holidays (11)
• Comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance
• KERA-paid short and long-term disability, basic life insurance and AD&D insurance
• Flexible scheduling and hybrid work environment
• 401k plan with KERA-contribution eligibility after six months of tenure
• Company culture focused on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
• Robust employee assistance program available to the employee and all members of their household

LOCATION:
We expect that this position will work out of our Dallas office 50% of the time.

HOW TO APPLY:
Complete the application on KERA’s employment page and attach a resume that includes links to 3 stories you reported. An optional cover letter explaining how you define access and equity when it comes to arts/culture journalism will be accepted.

KERA is an Equal Opportunity Employer
KERA believes that diversity is important to our success. We are committed to equal employment opportunity and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, religion, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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