Denverite is hiring a city reporter

Speer Boulevard seen from The Confluence Denver, Oct. 26, 2017. (Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite)

Denverite is hiring a reporter with a fast-paced news metabolism to identify and report city government, development and/or business stories in a rapidly changing city.

What are the responsibilities?

The new hire will be responsible for neighborhood-, city- and metro-level stories that matter to Denver. Some Denverite stories come from city council agendas and documents, some come from neighborhood meetings and some come from the observations and lived experiences of people in and around the city. The new reporter will need to be able to generate all three types of stories, and produce at a high rate — think city desk at a mid-sized newspaper.

They will, as all Denverite newsroom staffers do, support in the creation and sending of our flagship newsletter and help produce events that highlight and support our journalism.

The abilities to plan ahead and to work quickly are critical.

Who are you hiring?

The ideal candidate will:

  • have experience in local news — knowledge of the Denver metro area is a definite plus, although if you have demonstrated the ability to develop a beat in a new city in the past, let’s talk
  • understand the rhythms and machinations of a city government
  • have strong attention to detail
  • generate great story ideas in the focus topics that speak to varied, real, human experiences of living in Denver
  • be able to find room for voice and humor in their work
  • provide a perspective not currently well represented in the Denverite newsroom
  • be able to dive into group reporting projects
  • be able to engage with readers and represent Denverite in the community — Denverite staffers help create and host or moderate live events with our audience, like our panel event focused on homelessness and housing insecurity, our Bike to Work Day party or our members-only happy hours
  • be committed to earning and maintaining a loyal, trusting audience

Bonus: Be able to conduct interviews in Spanish.

Candidates should be able to talk comfortably about how they’ve built expertise on a beat before and how they’d do it now.

Listing experience levels is tricky and problematic, but this is not a straight-out-of-school job and it also doesn’t require decades of harrowing newsroom experience.

We strive to build an exciting, inclusive, diverse, nimble and rewarding workplace. We started from zero just over two years ago, and this is an opportunity to be part of shaping the future of local journalism.

Women and people of color strongly encouraged to apply.

How are you hiring?

Please send an email to [email protected] with “City reporter application” in the subject line.

Just put your cover letter — nothing stilted and overly professional, please use a casual, comfortable voice — in the body of the email. Include links to some of the work you’re proudest of, placing an emphasis on variety. Also include links to social media accounts where you’re publicly active. And, of course, attach a resume.

Why are you hiring?

A beloved colleague is moving on and we wish him well!

What’s Denverite?

Denverite is for the curious and concerned in our ever-changing city. We’ve got reporting from the Capitol and from City Hall, eyes on new development in Denver neighborhoods, guides to weekend fun and much more. We hold live events that help inform, engage or entertain our audience. And we send out a morning email — you should probably read several of these before you apply — designed to help people understand their city and find the best journalism, whether it’s ours or not, in just a few minutes each day.

Spirited Media, Inc., Denverite’s parent company, is an equal opportunity employer.