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Springfield Bureau Reporter

Chicago, IL (Hybrid workplace)

About Chicago Public Media

Home to WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Public Media is the largest local non-profit news organization in the country. WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times serve more than 2 million people weekly across broadcast, print, and digital platforms. As a mission-driven organization, we aspire to become the essential and most trusted news source that Chicago turns to each day for understanding the people, events, and ideas that shape our community.

WBEZ is home to local and national news programming as well as a growing portfolio of popular podcasts. WBEZ serves the community with fact-based, objective news and information, and its award-winning journalists ask tough questions, dig deep for answers and expose truths that spark change and foster understanding. WBEZ is supported by 77,000 members, hundreds of corporate sponsors and major donors.  In 2024, Chicago Public Media won 33 national and local awards including from the National Headliner Awards, National Association for Black Journalists, Public Media Journalists Association, Radio Television Digital News Association, Chicago Headline Club, Chicago Journalists Association, Media for a Just Society, and the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. 

Chicago Sun-Times is Chicago’s oldest continuously published daily newspaper serving Chicago and is known for its hard-hitting investigative reporting, in-depth political coverage, timely behind-the-scenes sports analysis, and insightful entertainment and cultural coverage. Chicago Sun-Times is the winner of eight Pulitzer Prizes and countless other awards.  In recent years, the Sun-Times has focused on a digital transformation to deliver its news and content to a growing digital audience. Most recently, the Sun-Times dropped the paywall on suntimes.com to expand access to its journalism, and shifted to a community-funded digital membership program supported by voluntary member donations. 

Chicago Public Media believes independent journalism is essential to a well-functioning democracy and access to fact-based, objective news and information is a right of every citizen. We serve the public interest by creating diverse, compelling content that informs, inspires, and enriches. We connect diverse audiences and help them make a difference in the community, the region and the world.  And, we employ 300+ staff who want to belong to an organization that inspires, supports, and challenges them to do their best work.

For more information, please see the Chicago Public Media Annual Report.

The Opportunity

Chicago Public Media, home to WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times, is looking for a versatile, experienced reporter to cover the Illinois Legislature. They will serve both the local WBEZ and Sun-Times audience, as well as provide daily news and enterprise feature work for the nine NPR member stations across Illinois as part of Illinois Public Radio. 

The reporter will be based in Springfield, working from the Capitol, but will occasionally spend time reporting from Chicago and collaborating with other reporters. We’re looking for a curious, aggressive and skillful writer who is equally adept at both quick turn breaking news articles and spots, and developing in-depth features.

This team player is responsible for reporting at a pace that serves the daily habits of a loyal and engaged broadcast audience and communicates with members of their CPM team and the stations across Illinois. This reporter will also be expected to provide special coverage to statewide stations, when applicable. 

The ideal candidate is a resourceful journalist who can spot trends and make sharp connections with seemingly straightforward news stories, providing insight that gives our audience the context they need to have a deeper understanding of the news. We are looking for a reporter who has a keen eye for reporting that is distinctive from the competition and has a good nose for scoops.

 

Qualifications

  • Understanding of state and local government
  • Ability to write and produce stories at a daily pace with skill, accuracy and insight
  • Ability to handle breaking news under deadline pressure while balancing enterprise stories
  • Demonstrated passion for news and a delight in unearthing scoops, advancing stories, or identifying creative angles when covering key stories in Chicago’s and Illinois’ daily news cycle
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with editors, producers and reporters across the newsroom in service of shared excellence
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to cultivate strong relationships with colleagues, both at Chicago Public Media and across the Illinois Public Radio system, and sources.
  • Strong audio and digital skills

 

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with an editor and other colleagues at WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times to research, pitch, conceptualize, report and produce stories of the highest caliber and resonance
  • Report, write and produce stories for broadcast and digital platforms, including daily news items, feature stories, projects, podcasts, on-air discussions and live events
  • Generate story and project ideas for multiple platforms, broadcast and digital
  • Participate in special projects and perform other station duties as necessary
  • Work collaboratively with editorial colleagues throughout the organization– in the service of impact, efficiency, and ultimately, service of our audience and mission
  • Develop big-picture approaches to covering issues and ideas, while also executing the many small tasks involved in reporting
  • Represent Chicago Public Media to internal and external audiences, including staff and board meetings, public events, etc.

 

Additional Requirement

  • In your cover letter, please include links to on-air work. 

 

Compensation

The expected pay range for this position is $61,200 to $67,500 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.

 

 

This position is represented by SAG-AFTRA

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.

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