About Chicago Public Media
Chicago Public Media is one of the nation’s largest local nonprofit news organizations. Home to WBEZ 91.5FM, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Vocalo. Chicago Public Media reaches more than 3.3 million people weekly across broadcast, print, and digital platforms. As a mission-driven organization, we aspire to be the most trusted news source Chicagoans turn to for understanding the people, events, and ideas shaping our community.
Chicago Public Media is a 100% community-funded newsroom powered by nearly 97,000 members whose support makes our journalism possible. This sustained community investment helped drive nationally recognized work in 2025, including 29 awards from esteemed organizations, including the Public Media Journalists Association, the Edward R. Murrow Awards, and the National Association of Black Journalists.
We believe independent journalism is essential to a healthy democracy and that access to objective, fact-based news is a right for every citizen. We serve the public interest by creating diverse content that informs and enriches our community, supported by a dedicated staff of approximately 250 professionals.
For more information, please see the Chicago Public Media Annual Report.
- Provide breaking and trending news and feature coverage as well as produce in-depth pieces on trends and a variety of topics
- Report clearly, accurately, and fairly to deliver fully sourced new stories on tight deadlines
- Work collaboratively with editors and other reporters on breaking news and assigned stories
- Conceptualize, research, plan, report, and produce accurate, original content, both independently and on assignment.
- Produce high-profile work that contributes something new, compelling and/or useful to the public conversation.
- Demonstrate strong reporting and storytelling skills, working to develop subject matter expertise – in the case of beat reporters – and diverse, strong sourcing.
- Demonstrate sound, trustworthy editorial judgment, including attention to diverse experiences and perspectives, prioritize factual accuracy in all content and comply with best ethical practices.
- Regularly meet deadlines and communicate effectively with managers, editors and colleagues, and help improve CST’s audience relationships, workplace culture, editorial excellence and impact
QUALIFICATIONS
- A minimum of two years of experience as a reporter
- Bachelor's degree in journalism, communication, or a related field
- A focus on producing accurate and factual stories
- Ability to collaborate with reporters and editors on stories
- Ability to write in-depth stories
- Ability to juggle multiple stories while working on longer pieces
- Ability to work nights, weekends, and some holidays
- Ability to fill in for vacationing beat reporters
COMPENSATION
The expected pay range for this position is $60,000 to $65,500 per ANNUM.
Chicago Public Media provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the organization reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographical location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.
Working at Chicago Public Media
At Chicago Public Media, we care deeply about our employees as we know attracting, developing, and growing talent is key to our success and enhancing our impact.
Our culture is one where collaboration, diversity of ideas, and innovation are encouraged. We value colleagues who will enhance our culture by bringing new ideas, divergent experiences, and talents to our dynamic workplace.
At Chicago Public Media we believe dedication to a great workplace includes supporting our employees and their families. As a result, we provide a broad and generous benefits package for employees at hire and in the years to come.
Our benefits include a competitive salary and benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, vacation, holidays, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement savings, and a commuter benefits plan.
Chicago Public Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we actively seek and welcome people from all backgrounds, orientations, and life experiences to join our team.
The essential functions described above are not all-inclusive and are not intended to create any contractual or other legal commitment. Chicago Public Media may change the content or format of this job at any time in its sole and exclusive discretion without notice.
Skills Required
- Minimum of two years of experience as a reporter
- Bachelor's degree in journalism, communication, or a related field
- Produce accurate, factual, fully sourced stories
- Ability to collaborate with reporters and editors
- Ability to write in-depth stories and long-form pieces
- Ability to juggle multiple stories while working on longer pieces
- Ability to work nights, weekends, and some holidays
- Ability to fill in for vacationing beat reporters
- Strong reporting and storytelling skills with diverse, reliable sourcing
- Demonstrated sound editorial judgment, attention to diverse perspectives, and ethical standards
- Ability to provide multimedia elements for reported stories
What We Do
We are Chicago’s NPR news station, one of the largest and most respected public media stations in the country. Our mission is at the heart of WBEZ Chicago. We fulfill our mission at WBEZ by serving as a cornerstone of the public conversation; as a central pillar of our civic community; and by reasserting ourselves as the heart of innovation within public media. We amplify the public conversation by telling the stories that matter; stories that provoke thought, entertain, capture emotion and inspire action. We are a trusted source of news and information in the Chicago region. People turn to WBEZ for our high-quality, fact-based journalism; engaging, entertaining programs on 91.5FM; original podcasts; and digital content
