The Local is an award-winning non-profit publication devoted to civic issues in Toronto, with an emphasis on magazine-style journalism and reporting from local communities. We publish in-depth features, investigations, essays, data journalism and commentary, alongside multimedia and other experimental forms of storytelling. The Local has won over a dozen national awards since its launch in 2019, including two National Magazine Awards and 10 Digital Publishing Awards, including the General Excellence in Digital Publishing (Small Publication) prize three years in a row. We are a team of four staff and an extensive network of freelance contributors working within a warm, collaborative, and collegial newsroom environment.

We are seeking a passionate, civic-minded, and resourceful staff reporter who has a strong grasp of community journalism, with investigative journalism instincts. This person will bring fresh story ideas and captivating storytelling skills that help our readers make sense of Toronto with nuance and empathy.

Responsibilities:

• Pitch and write one in-depth, reported story every one to two weeks depending on story length and depth
• Develop The Local’s beat in public education and labour
• Assist with editing of other journalists’ stories and other editorial duties as needed, including social media and newsletter writing
• Attend editorial meetings in-person at our office in downtown Toronto

Qualifications:

• Bachelor or Master’s degree in journalism or other relevant fields
• 2+ years of professional experience as a journalist; experience with feature writing and investigations is an asset
• Bylines in long-form publications
• Knowledge of social issues and urban-suburban inequities in Toronto; familiarity with the city’s diverse neighbourhoods is an asset

Compensation:

The annual base salary range for this full-time role is between $70,000 and $80,000, depending on experience, plus annual cost-of-living increases. The position has dental and extended health benefits.

Our Race, Representation, and Equity Commitment:

The Local is committed to tackling issues of race, representation, and equity in the media industry. We believe that the absence of diversity in newsrooms is holding back Canadian journalism from its full potential and limiting the kinds of stories we are capable of reporting. In both our editorial and business practices, we are committed to addressing this by ensuring underrepresented groups are given a voice and an opportunity to work. That is why we endorse the Canadian Journalists of Colour and the Canadian Association of Black Journalists’ calls to action on Canadian media diversity and are committed to doing at least our part. This commitment includes increasing representation and coverage of racialized communities by hiring more editors and contributors of colour, and retaining and promoting journalists of colour to management positions in the newsroom.

How to Apply:

Applications for the staff reporter position are now closed.