Reporter – The Press & Journal
Location: Inverness, UK (Hybrid – 2 days in the office per week)
The Press & Journal, part of the DC Thomson media and publishing company, is hiring a Reporter to join the team in Aberdeen. The Reporter will cover breaking news, exclusive reporting and follow-up coverage across Inverness and the north and north-east of Scotland, delivered across appropriate digital formats in line with live team priorities.
The successful candidate will identify and deliver breaking news, exclusive local stories and strong follow-up coverage for The Press and Journal, with particular emphasis on Inverness and the surrounding areas. They will increase the consistency, speed and distinctiveness of local reporting in a priority market.
The Press and Journal is one of DC Thomson’s key heritage and identity brands that receives a lot of support and investment from DC Thomson leadership. The team are passionate about caring for and making a difference to their community. They write exclusive data-driven and hyper locally focused story content that represents the communities that our readers live in.
This is an opportunity for a Reporter who can work independently day to day, use local knowledge and source networks well, and apply audience, search and format insight to produce journalism that is timely, unique, and engaging.
The Reporter will produce fast, accurate and relevant journalism that strengthens local audience trust, supports digital growth and contributes to subscription performance.
The successful candidate will identify, pitch and progress stories within the agreed editorial brief, select the most suitable format for routine stories, and update live content in line with standards and editorial direction. They will deliver timely and relevant local journalism, increasing the flow of exclusive stories from the patch, using analytics and SEO to improve story performance, and contributing to shared editorial standards and effective ways of working across the wider editorial portfolio.
Key Responsibilities Include:
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Breaking News Reporting - Accountable for identifying, verifying and publishing breaking news quickly so that live coverage is timely, accurate and reliable.
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Patch Story Generation - Accountable for delivering a steady flow of exclusive and locally relevant stories by using contacts, local knowledge, social channels, data and direct reporting activity.
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Story Performance and Presentation - Accountable for using SEO, analytics and format choice to improve the visibility, reach and engagement of stories.
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Follow-up and Story Development - Accountable for increasing the value of stories through updates, follow-ups, FOI use and deeper reporting where appropriate.
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Editorial Standards and Tool Use - Collaborate with editors to align output with editorial, legal and policy requirements, including the responsible use of AI-enabled and digital publishing tools.
Requirements
Skills & Experience:
- A full UK driving licence is mandatory for this role along with a willingness to travel across the patch
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Information content authoring - Produces clear, accurate and engaging digital journalism using agreed editorial standards, appropriate structure and suitable formats for audience need.
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Data analytics - Uses audience and performance data to understand what is working, improve story presentation and support better day-to-day decisions on coverage and follow-up.
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Stakeholder relationship management - Builds effective working relationships with sources, communities and internal colleagues to improve story flow, execution and patch knowledge.
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Quality management - Applies editorial checks, follows agreed standards and takes corrective action when issues are identified to support accurate and reliable output.
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Information governance - Handles information responsibly by following requirements relating to privacy, data protection, source management and publication risk.
Behaviours that will help this role succeed:
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Being More Curious: Looks for the strongest angle, asks good questions, uses contacts and local knowledge well, and follows leads beyond the obvious first line.
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Experiment with Purpose: Tries different formats, headlines and follow-up angles thoughtfully, then uses performance insight to improve future output.
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Owning the Outcomes: Takes responsibility for delivering stories at pace, checking accuracy, following through on updates and maintaining standards under pressure.
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Being More Collaborative: Works openly with editors and colleagues, shares useful leads and learning, and contributes positively to smooth live team delivery.
To apply for this role, please follow our online application process and submit a CV and cover letter.
Closing date for applications: 25th June 2026 at 12:00noon
