Position: Reporter
Position Type: Full-time, Permanent (Existing Vacancy)
Location: Ottawa, ON
Division: Postmedia Editorial Department
The Company:
Postmedia is a Canadian news media company representing more than 110 brands across print, digital and mobile platforms. Our award‑winning journalists and innovative product teams deliver engaging content to millions of people each week.
The Ottawa Citizen/Sun newsroom is the largest in the city, where your colleagues are offering committed, supportive and professional, and you have opportunities for mentorship and career development.
The Opportunity:
The Ottawa Citizen/Sun is seeking a driven, experienced reporter to cover public safety in Canada’s capital city. They will tackle systemic issues that are impacting daily life in Ottawa, including major crime, homicides, violence, opioid use, homelessness, issues affecting vulnerable populations, unsafe roads for pedestrians and drivers, environmental emergencies and more.
Their beat will also include watchdog coverage of Ottawa’s four intersecting police forces: the Ottawa Police, the Ontario Provincial Police, the Parliamentary Protective Service, and the RCMP.
Their reporting mission is to hold power to account by uncovering systemic issues, investigating operations and decisions that affect the region and scrutinizing how public tax dollars are being spent to improve public safety.
They will develop a solutions journalism method when telling stories about complex social issues, to not just shine a light on problems, but illuminate ways forward.
The successful candidate is a tenacious journalist with keen investigative instincts and the ability to find stories others miss. They will be the eyes and ears of the public, trawling public data, developing deep sources, and fact-checking information the public is being provided.
They will work collaboratively alongside the Citizen team of reporters, digital editors, photographers and editors to produce impactful accountability journalism that builds public trust, strengthens transparency and meaningfully contributes to the Ottawa Citizen’s mission.
What You’ll Do:
- Produce a mix of enterprise stories, long‑form investigations, and quick‐turn pieces that hold decision-makers to account in all areas that impact the public safety of the citizens of Ottawa
- Bolster breaking news coverage of serious crime and emergencies by investigating those involved and finding new angles;
- Analyse and decipher publicly available documents and data;
- Build and maintain sources within police services, government institutions and the local community;
- Fact-check statements and claims made by key decision makers; and
- Work collaboratively on ambitious and innovative team projects.
Who You Are:
- A degree in journalism or equivalent professional reporting experience;
- More than five years of experience in a major newsroom with exposure to crime; justice, data, and investigative reporting;
- Experience researching and collecting information from both traditional and non-traditional sources;
- A strong understanding of police systems, government structures, public records databases and FOI/ATI requests;
- A clear understanding of legal and ethical issues involved in watchdog reporting; and
- Enthusiasm for experimenting with emerging digital storytelling tools and platforms
Please submit your resume along with a cover letter detailing your accountability reporting experience and the perspectives you would bring to the role.
Compensation:
Employment offers presented to the selected candidate are based on a combination of qualifications, experience, responsibilities of the role and the candidate's location.
Base Salary: $66,682.2—$73,928.92
This is a unionized position subject to the terms and conditions of the collective agreement. The starting salary listed in this job posting is based on the Year 2 to Year 4 rate outlined in the collective agreement. Offers will be made based on the candidate's qualifications and experience.
We thank in advance all applicants for their interest, however only those candidates under consideration will be contacted. Only candidates legally eligible to work in Canada will be considered. No phone calls or agencies please.
Postmedia Network Inc. is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities in all areas of the hiring process. If you require accommodation during the hiring process, please make your needs known in advance. Accommodation requests will be provided on an individual basis.
Postmedia Network Inc. is committed to employment equity and an inclusive barrier-free selection process and work environment. Postmedia Network Inc. encourages applications from women, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities.
Skills Required
- Degree in journalism or equivalent professional reporting experience
- More than five years of experience in a major newsroom
- Experience covering crime, justice, data, and investigative reporting
- Experience researching and collecting information from traditional and non-traditional sources
- Strong understanding of police systems and government structures
- Experience with public records databases and FOI/ATI requests
- Understanding of legal and ethical issues involved in watchdog reporting
- Enthusiasm for experimenting with emerging digital storytelling tools and platforms
- Legal eligibility to work in Canada
What We Do
Postmedia is a Canadian news media company operating in local, regional, and metropolitan markets through print, online, and mobile platforms. It publishes national, metropolitan, community, and specialty newspapers, while managing a broad digital network of news and information websites, mobile products, and online assets. The company also provides distribution and advertising services, connecting audiences and advertisers across Canada for businesses and readers.
