Climate change​/Environment Reporter II

Gannett Co., Inc. is seeking a Climate Change/Environment Reporter II for the Savannah Morning News to cover significant local, regional, and statewide environmental issues. The reporter will focus on topics such as sea-level rise, industrial development impacts, and climate-related trends affecting Georgia residents. Responsibilities include storytelling, community engagement, collaboration with content teams, and data analysis to inform and empower readers about climate change.
Posted Monday, January 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM

Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a scalable, growth-focused media and digital marketing solutions company. Our current portfolio of trusted media brands includes the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom.

The Savannah Morning News/, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is looking for an experienced climate change/environment reporter to cover environmental and climate issues that have local, regional and statewide significance.

This reporter will cover issues including sea-level rise and its impacts on beaches, barrier islands, and protected marshlands, the loss of freshwater wetlands to industrial and residential development. The correlation and causal relationships between climate and severe weather have grown in urgency as Savannah and Coastal Georgia face increasing hurricane threats, fewer cooler days in winter, and more high heat days throughout the year.

One of the key areas of concern is how unchecked growth and development, regional pressure from the Port Authority of Georgia, and economic development policies exacerbate environmental issues, including the loss of valuable tree canopy and the quality and supply of drinking water. Other areas to explore include the impact of growth on the locally grown food supply, the loss of agricultural lands, and signature crops such as peanuts, cotton, and soybeans.

The climate change reporter will cover and write about all aspects of climate change and its effects on the environment, economy, quality of life, and trends. This beat calls for a storyteller who writes about how the lives of Georgia residents and communities are affected by climate change. Our goal is to foster an understanding of the complexities of climate change in order to empower readers.

We value solutions-oriented journalism and accountability and infuse our reporting with those elements to provide our readers with the critical information they can use when making decisions about their lives.

Responsibilities:
• Creates storytelling that accurately informs, entertains, and engages specific audiences and platforms through the use of metrics.
• Connects with the community through storytelling and outreach (social media, on camera, forums, community leadership, etc.).
• Collaborates with the content team to provide all appropriate elements for stories (i.e., photos, videos, and graphics).
• Promotes personal brand, the brands of colleagues, and the institutional brand.
• Explores and reports on the widest range of news and trends, connecting with our audience’s passion.
• Content strategies include print, branded digital platforms, traditional and emerging social media, events, apps, and curation of contributed and expert content.
• Places a high priority on data analysis to identify trends that would otherwise go unreported.
• Demonstrates clear, concise writing skills with strong nut graphs and “why this is important to me” content.
• Requires outstanding research skills and extensive contacts that can break news.
• Requires the ability to create trust within their niche community.
• Identifies, cultivates, and curates contributed, authoritative content and reporting that expands the footprint of the beat.

Requirements:
• Bachelor's or master’s in communications, journalism, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of three or more years environmental reporting/newsroom experience.
• Strong command of AP grammar and style.
• Strong copy-editing skills and the ability to produce content that is clean, accurate, and publication-ready.
• Comfortable using social media such as X, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to enhance reporting and promote stories.
• Understands reporting ethics and sourcing.
• Excels in a fast-paced news environment and understands the digital-first mission.
• Collaborates well with others and can work with a team on…