The (Biloxi) Sun Herald, The (Columbus) Ledger-Enquirer and The (Macon) Telegraph are looking for a smart, energetic reporter to cover residential real estate news and housing trends in Georgia and on the Mississippi Coast.

The reporter will research and write daily stories along with enterprise projects and accountability stories that examine the growth of residential real estate, as well as how living has changed, including reporting on affordable housing, gentrification, apartments and rental properties and issues that affect neighborhoods both new and old in our local communities.

The reporter will cover people, companies, key issues and trends in the business and real estate communities, but also cover trending topics that have high engagement value for readers, like new Zillow listings, unique Airbnbs and tours of million-dollar mansions.

The ideal candidate should be flexible and versatile, because a day of work will never look the same in this role.

The Gulfport-Biloxi metro area is one of the fastest growing areas in Mississippi. Known as the Coast to locals, Biloxi is known for its beaches, casinos, diverse restaurants and its proximity to New Orleans.

This position would require occasional travel to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer and Macon Telegraph in Georgia.

Key duties include:

• Finding, prioritizing and writing the most significant and interesting business and real estate stories of the day, ahead of the competition
• Working with data to identify trends
• Obtaining public records and, when needed, filing public records requests expertly and efficiently
• Shooting photos and videos as needed
• Distributing work through social media platforms
• Supplying SEO keywords, headlines and other strategies to boost distribution of each story
• Meeting audience and reporting goals.

The ideal candidate’s key attributes include:

• Strict ethics and dedication to high-quality journalism
• Ability to organize and prioritize work
• Fast, and accurate
• Excellent self-editing skills
• Comfortable working with data
• Keen instincts in identifying and pursuing stories that will resonate with readers
• A competitive spirit and drive to get stories first
• Solid understanding of audience engagement, metrics and SEO
• Experience using social media both as a reporting and an engagement tool
• A collaborative personality and a track record of working well with editors as well as working independently
• True curiosity about the topics covered in this position
• Experience building sources
• An aptitude to learn technical skills inside the newsroom such as content management systems and other tools

Qualifications:

• College degree required, preferably in business, journalism, or communications.
• Must have valid driver’s license.
• Must have vehicle insurance (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works).
• Must have reliable transportation.
• 1 year of experience covering business is preferred; a previous newsroom internship covering business and/or real estate is a plus.

https://jobs.jobvite.com/mcclatchy/job/o15oifww