Ideastream Public Media, a Cleveland-based media organization and home to Ohio’s largest NPR, PBS and classical radio stations, and a founding member of The Ohio Newsroom (TON), seeks a passionate, self-motivated and curious journalist with a love for community to serve as an Appalachian Reporter/Producer. TON is collaboration of Ohio’s public media stations that broadcasts Today from the Ohio Newsroom, its flagship program, to nearly 700,000 people weekly on all of Ohio’s public radio stations -- located in Athens, Dayton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Wilberforce and Youngstown.

As Appalachian Ohio seeks to build a strong future they need reporting on education, environmental, and economic stories that will help with their success. The ideal candidate will be culturally sensitive while also able to probe beyond the granular day-to-day happenings and speak to the deeper issues, and larger triumphs, that define rural Ohio.  

Over the course of this two-year assignment, the Reporter/Producer will report on daily news throughout the five-county region of Guernsey, Harrison, Monroe, Morgan and Noble for distribution on Ohio Newsroom stations and websites and other local publications. You will create interviews and narrated feature-length content and spot news pieces, all focused on Appalachian Ohio.

Stories will be responsive to community needs – utilizing a community advisory board and public listening sessions and in-depth sourcing conversations with local institutions, from churches to chambers of commerce to civic and fraternal organizations. The journalism will be consistent with the quality of work The Ohio Newsroom already produces on rural areas – looking past one-off events to get to the heart of issues, provide important broader context for regional trends and look to larger solutions to community needs.

Qualified candidates will have strong reporting and writing skills and an abundance of ideas, plus a willingness to learn radio production. The candidate should also be able to travel to reporting sites across Appalachia. A crisp and clear broadcast writing style and a thorough, comprehensive and engaging writing style for the web, and a strong cultural understanding of the Appalachian region, is preferred.

A Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, or a related field, and two years of journalism experience working in multiple media platforms is preferred, though equivalent experience in related fields and education will be considered. The salary range for this position is $50,000 - $56,000 and is commensurate with experience. We offer a rich benefits program including medical coverage, a 403(b) plan with an employer match, hybrid work schedules, paid time off and much more.

Given the nature of the position, you can live anywhere in Guernsey, Harrison, Monroe, Morgan or Noble counties.