Iowa Public Radio is looking for a person with great news judgement, a strong sense of curiosity, and a knack for enterprising reporting to be our next Western Iowa reporter in Sioux City.  You’ll file newscast and feature-length stories for IPR, covering an area that is primarily centered on the counties surrounding Sioux City, but can include a larger part of western Iowa.  You’ll also occasionally be asked to join one of our talk shows or news magazines to talk about a story you’re working on.

If you enjoy the kind of reporting doesn’t come from news conferences or a daybook, this could be the job for you. Our last reporter in this position filed stories that included how shortages of child care and mental health staff affect rural communities, whether some Latino communities were undercounted in the latest census, and a tiny, rural bar that draws music lovers from far and wide for its weekly live shows.

You’ll join a great team of reporters in four cities covering everything from state government, to agriculture, health, education…and every four years a bunch of people who want to be president.

You’ll be the only IPR reporter in this part of the state, so self-motivation and an ability to work well on your own is essential.

We’ve got a strong relationship with NPR:  We’ve been part of the political and state government reporting partnerships, and we’re part of NPR’s new Midwest Newsroom, which focuses on enterprise and investigative reporting. You’ll have an opportunity to work with that collaboration and build those chops.  We’ll also support you in building relationships with NPR editors and landing stories on the network.

Sioux City is Iowa’s fourth-largest city, and the largest in the northwestern part of the state.  It’s along the Missouri River at the northern end of Iowa’s Loess Hills region, a unique landscape of prairie, steep hills and bluffs.  Downtown Sioux City is seeing a number of historic renovation projects, as well as investing in more recreation amenities along the riverfront.  And, if you’re in the mood for a road trip, Omaha is 90 minutes away, while Des Moines is a three-hour drive. 

If you’re passionate about impactful journalism, ethics and diversity, are adept at handling multiple projects at a time, and want to be part of a great and supportive team, we’d love to hear from you.

We know there are great candidates who might not exactly fit into what we’ve described here or who have important skills we haven’t listed. If that sounds like you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

We offer an excellent benefits package, including medical, dental and vision, a retirement plan with a 2-to-1 employer match, immediate accrual of vacation and sick time and a flexible work environment. 

ANTICIPATED HIRING RANGE:

• $40,000 - $45,000

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

• One year of experience in a professional journalism environment, including internships;
• Experience working in multimedia platforms, including photographs, video and web platforms; and
• Experience operating a variety of broadcast equipment including audio boards, digital editing systems (e.g. Adobe Audition), field recording units, and other production equipment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• One year full-time experience as a public radio reporter, anchor, producer, or host; and
• Firm foundation in journalism ethics, news gathering, and reporting techniques.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Apply through the position link on the IPR website. 

For full consideration, applications must include the following:

1. A detailed resume.
2. A narrative carefully detailing how your experience compares to the job duties, qualifications, and functions for this position at this organization.  The narrative should not exceed two pages.
3. Sample(s) of your work including: 
   1. Scripts for both a spot news and a news-oriented feature story.
   2. Demo containing one newscast-length story (45-60 seconds), and one feature-length report (3:00-5:00) that you have edited and produced.  We’d also like to hear a sample of a newscast (2:00-4:00) you delivered on-air, or recorded for this application.  Please upload the demo to Soundcloud or another hosting site and send us the links.  If you do not have audio of a newscast available, please email recruiting@iowapublicradio.org for guidance.
   3. Online content you have produced (please send links).  Online content can be a web build-out of a radio story or news content that was designed to be web-only.  Please do not send stories you have produced with the help of a national network.
4. Names and contact information, including email addresses, for three work references, including at least one supervisory reference.

Application deadline is 5 p.m. Monday, May 8, 2023.

Iowa Public Radio is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  Discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin or sex is prohibited.  If you believe you have been a victim of discrimination, please notify the appropriate local, state or federal agency.