County News Reporter

Job Description

Central Current is hiring a reporter to its growing staff to cover Onondaga County government.

We’re looking for a journalist with strong investigative instincts and an ability to translate complex systems — like budgeting, contracting, and service delivery — into engaging and accessible stories. You’ll be expected to hold government officials accountable, track policy proposals and public spending, and surface the lived experiences of those affected by county decisions.

Onondaga County government runs programs meant to address some of Syracuse’s most pressing issues: housing instability, child welfare and childhood poverty — all at the same time that the region expects an influx of private and public money. Included in those investments will include:

• The removal of a highway viaduct built during urban renewal
• A billion-dollar redevelopment of public housing
• A $100 billion investment by Micron for semiconductor manufacturing facilities

The decisions made by the county with the region at a crossroads will help determine the region’s future.

Central Current is Central New York’s nonprofit, independent news source. We are based in Syracuse, New York and welcome applications from journalists nationwide. We will support relocation for the right candidate.

We provide a diverse selection of coverage spanning politics, criminal justice, arts, and culture reporting at no cost to our readers. Since we first launched in 2022, we have earned 16 Syracuse Press Club awards, collaborated with national publications like USA Today, and have impacted public policy through our investigative reporting. 

We aim to equip Central New York residents with the knowledge and perspective necessary to understand and participate in the transformational changes currently unfolding in our region. 

To apply

Please put all of these items into a single PDF and email it to jobs@centralcurrent.org. Put “County Reporter application” in the subject line.

1. Your resume  
2. A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job 
3. Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you’ve done that reflects your capacity to succeed in this role.
4. Pitch us on a micro-beat within Onondaga County government. For instance: poverty, children’s issues or economic development.

Salary & Benefits

Central Current is committed to offering a competitive salary and generous benefits package that collectively provide staff with the security and resources necessary to build a balanced life in Central New York. The reporter position has a salary of between $50,000 and $60,000 depending on experience, and includes a generous package of additional benefits as summarized below: 

• $2,000 reimbursement of travel/relocation expenses.  
• 15 days of paid vacation in your first year, plus 5 sick days per year and 15 holidays for a total of at least 35 paid days off per year. 
• Paid family leave 
• $1,000 minimum annual professional development stipend 
• 100% employer-paid health insurance for the employee including full medical, vision, and dental. 
• Company-supplied computer 
• Life insurance, long and short-term disability  
• $60 monthly phone stipend  
• 2% employer retirement contribution.  

Our Mission 

Central Current’s mission is to provide education of the kind that can only be delivered through the application of sound journalistic principles to fact-based news, opinion, and analysis of the issues, events, and life in Central New York and to contribute to an educated and well-informed electorate, and thereby, to strengthen civic engagement and democratic governance.

Central Current is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization dedicated to bringing independent online news to Central New York. We provide fact-based news and analysis about the challenges, solutions, and opportunities we all share living in this region. 

Our news and multimedia storytelling is exclusively published and distributed online through our website, newsletters, and social media. We strive to be an inclusive and responsive resource for news and information. 

Equal Opportunity Statement 

Central Current, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind based on race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, veteran status, national origin, disability, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. We welcome qualified applicants of all races, ethnicities, physical abilities, genders and sexual orientations, including people who have been incarcerated. We view diversity and inclusion as central to our mission and seek to work with journalists who are representative of the demographics of the community we aim to serve.

Job Requirements

Expectations and Responsibilities of the Role

• This position will be hybrid in nature, with opportunities for remote and in-office work. Because of the regional nature of our coverage, we ask that applicants either live in Syracuse, New York or be willing to relocate here. 
• The reporter will be expected to submit between 5 to 10 stories per month, balancing short-term and long-term reporting.
• The reporter will work closely with and report to the managing editor.
• This role is highly collaborative and requires an ability to partner with other staff members and freelance reporters to share information and develop stories.  

Skills Needed for the Role

• They must be comfortable building a strong and diverse network of sources and developing a robust institutional, cultural, and political knowledge of our region. 
• Demonstrated ability to produce coverage of depth.
• Experience covering a beat. Interest or experience with municipal, county, or state government is a plus.
• Ability to write clearly and engagingly.
• Experience filing public records requests and sifting through data and databases. 
• Must have a bachelor’s degree, with experience working in a newsroom preferred. 
• Strong analytical skills and comfort reviewing public records, budgets, meeting minutes, and legal documents.

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