BH Media Group

Business Reporter - Quad City Times

Reposted 2 Days Ago

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Davenport, IA, USA

In-Office

Entry level

AdTech • Digital Media • Information Technology

The Role

Reports on business and economic developments across the Quad-Cities, uncovering exclusive stories through source development, public records, financial filings, court documents and data. Covers employers, development, real estate, retail, labor and workforce issues while explaining their local impact. Produces breaking news, explainers, profiles and enterprise reporting, collaborates on digital and multimedia coverage, and maintains accuracy, fairness and independence.

Summary Generated by Built In

Business Reporter — Quad-City Times

The Quad-City Times seeks a tenacious business reporter who will uncover the deals, decisions and power players shaping the local economy and chase down stories no other outlet has.

We want a reporter who builds sources, follows the money and digs into the decisions shaping the Quad-Cities economy. You should have the competitive drive to get stories first and the persistence to uncover information that businesses and public officials aren’t volunteering. This job requires someone who takes ownership of the beat and drives coverage without waiting for assignments.

The beat spans major employers, small businesses, manufacturing, development, commercial real estate, retail and the workforce on both sides of the Mississippi River. Your reporting will explain what business decisions mean for people’s jobs, neighborhoods and daily lives.

What you’ll do

Consistently pitch and pursue exclusive stories. Cultivate sources who bring you tips, spot developments early and chase promising leads with urgency and persistence.
Break news about employers, development projects, openings and closings, expansions, layoffs and changes in the local economy.
Go beyond announcements and ribbon-cuttings to examine how businesses operate, who benefits from investment and whether promises become reality.
Develop sources throughout the community, including workers, entrepreneurs, executives, developers, labor leaders, customers and neighborhood residents.
Use public records, financial filings, court documents and data to uncover stories and independently verify claims.
Scrutinize public incentives and economic development deals, tracking spending, commitments and results.
Connect regional and national economic trends to specific local consequences, making complex business issues clear and relevant.
Deliver a mix of quick-turn news, useful explainers, compelling profiles and deeper enterprise reporting.
Collaborate with editors and visual journalists to produce strong digital coverage, using audience questions and readership insights to sharpen the beat.
Uphold high standards for accuracy, fairness and independence, including when covering powerful local interests and advertisers.

What you’ll bring

Strong reporting, interviewing and writing skills, with work samples that demonstrate initiative and original reporting.
A record of finding stories beyond press releases and scheduled meetings, whether in professional, student or other journalism.
The confidence to ask difficult questions and the persistence to follow up when answers are incomplete.
An ability to understand financial information, evaluate data and explain complex subjects in plain language.
Strong news judgment and the ability to balance breaking news with longer-term reporting.
A commitment to building sources across industries, neighborhoods and levels of economic power.
Comfort with digital publishing and a willingness to develop visual and multimedia storytelling skills.
The ability to report throughout the Quad-Cities and adjust your schedule when news requires it.

Experience covering business, development, labor or local government is helpful. Knowledge of the Quad-Cities is a plus; curiosity, initiative and a drive to own the beat are essential.

How to apply

Submit a resume, a brief cover letter and three to five work samples. Explain how you uncovered at least one original story, and pitch two business stories you would pursue in the Quad-Cities.

Why Join Us?

Lee Enterprises offers competitive wages in a dynamic, interesting work environment with career growth opportunities. We offer an extensive benefit program that can be personalized to your needs. Our benefit program includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, company provided life insurance and supplemental life insurance. In addition, we offer a 401K retirement plan with company match. We also offer generous paid time off to allow the flexibility to balance personal life and work. This includes paid parental leave for new parents.

Lee Enterprises is a leading provider of local news and information and a major subscription and advertising platform, with daily and weekly newspapers and rapidly expanding digital products serving 114 markets across 25 states. Our core commitment is to provide valuable, intensely local news and information to the communities we serve.

Lee Enterprises is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We respect and celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

For more information about Lee, check us out at www.lee.net.

Skills Required

Strong reporting, interviewing and writing skills
Work samples demonstrating initiative and original reporting
Record of finding stories beyond press releases and scheduled meetings
Confidence asking difficult questions and persistence following up on incomplete answers
Ability to understand financial information, evaluate data and explain complex subjects plainly
Strong news judgment and ability to balance breaking news with longer-term reporting
Commitment to building sources across industries, neighborhoods and levels of economic power
Comfort with digital publishing and willingness to develop visual and multimedia storytelling skills
Ability to report throughout the Quad-Cities and adjust schedule when news requires
Experience covering business, development, labor or local government
Knowledge of the Quad-Cities