Community Reporter for West-Central Georgia

The Georgia Trust for Local News is looking for a curious, community-minded journalist who’s excited to help tell the story of West-Central Georgia and specifically Harris, Meriwether and Talbot counties. As our Community Reporter based at The Harris County Journal (with bylines for The Star-Mercury-Vindicator and The Talbotton New Era ), you won’t just parachute into a place — you’ll become part of it. You’ll build relationships, meet people where they are, and tap into the rhythms, challenges and celebrations that define life across the region. This job has range. One day you’ll be breaking down what happened at a city council or school board meeting — turning dry bureaucratic details into stories that matter. The next, you might be interviewing a family running a beloved neighborhood business, covering a festival, unpacking a public safety trend or explaining a big economic shift in a way that helps readers make sense of what’s changing around them. We want a reporter who sees a city council agenda as a roadmap — someone who knows how to spot what matters, ask sharp questions and hold institutions to account. You should be equally comfortable firing off an open records request, sorting through budget documents or writing a feature that captures the human side of local news. If you care about accuracy, consistency and reporting that actually serves people — and you want a job with real variety — you’ll fit right in here. WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Report daily and enterprise stories that reflect the needs, concerns and experiences of West-Central Georgia residents.
• Build a reliable network of sources throughout the region to ensure inclusive, community-centered coverage.
• Balance quick-turn daily reporting with longer enterprise and solutions-focused projects.
• Collaborate with newsroom colleagues while owning your story pipeline.
• Attend local meetings, events and community gatherings to stay informed and connected.
• Produce clean, accurate copy on deadline.
• Shoot photos and short video as needed.
• Use a WordPress-based content management system to publish digital stories.
• Assist with print production duties as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS: Candidates should have at least one year of journalism experience, which may include work in a college newsroom or through internships. Formal journalism education is helpful but not required. We’re open to strong communicators who can be trained in community journalism practices, Associated Press style and core principles of journalistic ethics. Experience in Adobe InDesign, content management systems, photography and basic videography, and social media for news distribution are helpful but not required. We’ll provide ongoing training and support. SALARY RANGE: The salary range for this position is $35,000 to $40,000, depending on experience, demonstrated reporting ability and the qualifications of the selected candidate. BENEFITS: We offer health benefits that allow employees to choose their own insurance plan with employer reimbursement. We also offer an optional cafeteria plan with dental, disability and life insurance options; paid time off; and a mileage reimbursement. The Georgia Trust for Local News and its parent organization, the National Trust for Local News, also offer ongoing professional development opportunities. REQUIREMENTS: This is an in-person role based in Manchester, Georgia. You must have a valid Georgia driver’s license along with reliable transportation and vehicle insurance. You need to be able to work eight-hour shifts (Monday through Friday) along with occasional evening and weekend work as news requires. Please have strong writing, reporting and communication skills. We prefer candidates with prior journalism experience. HOW TO APPLY: Please send a resume and three reporting clips to Joshua Wilson, executive editor of the Georgia Trust for Local News, at [email protected] . ABOUT THE GEORGIA TRUST FOR LOCAL NEWS: We are a network of 20 community newsrooms across Middle and South Georgia, publishing a mix of print newspapers, digital outlets and social media coverage. Our portfolio ranges from The Sparta Ishmaelite , which has served readers for more than 140 years, to The Macon Melody , launched in 2024. Founded in 2023 as part of the National Trust for Local News, the Georgia Trust works to strengthen and grow local journalism across Georgia alongside sister operations in Colorado and Maine. ABOUT THE NEWSPAPERS : The Harris County Journal , The Talbotton New Era and The Star-Mercury-Vindicator have roots stretching back well over a century. Together, the three newspapers have provided generations of West-Central Georgia residents with hyperlocal news, public records and community reporting across a region where trusted, longstanding coverage remains essential. ABOUT OUR LOCAL NEWS MISSION: Our mission is to practice community journalism that begins with listening and builds coverage around the real needs, concerns and aspirations of the people we serve. We produce both quick-turn stories and deeper enterprise reporting, but every piece of coverage is chosen because it helps residents understand their community, navigate daily life or push for meaningful change. We focus on context, accountability and solutions, rejecting sensational or surface-level coverage in favor of reporting that adds clarity and purpose. Our work is grounded in presence, relationships and transparency — showing up consistently, explaining how we report and prioritizing service over scale as a nonprofit newsroom. We aim to elevate underrepresented voices, reflect the full diversity of our community and connect people who need answers with those creating solutions. By building bridges across neighborhoods and surfacing paths forward — not just problems — we seek to create trustworthy, people-centered journalism that strengthens Middle and South Georgia.