Chief Reporter – North and Mid Essex
Newsquest North and Mid Essex seeks an ambitious, experienced journalist to join our team as Chief Reporter, focusing on Chelmsford and the surrounding areas.
This is an exciting opportunity for a talented reporter who thrives on finding exclusive stories, building strong contacts and producing journalism that makes a genuine difference to local communities.
The Mid Essex patch offers a varied and rewarding mix of reporting opportunities, from local politics and public affairs to crime, courts, community campaigns and breaking news. As Chief Reporter, you will play a key role in delivering impactful journalism across our digital and print platforms while helping ensure our coverage remains relevant, trusted and engaging.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead reporting across Chelmsford and the wider Mid Essex patch
- Produce accurate, engaging content for digital and print platforms
- Identify, develop and deliver exclusive stories and investigations
- Cover breaking news, local politics, crime, courts and community issues
- Build and maintain strong relationships with contacts across the patch
- Work with colleagues to plan and deliver high-quality coverage
- Use audience data and analytics to maximise the reach and impact of content
- Undertake editing and publishing duties when required
- Contribute to newsroom planning and editorial discussions
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
- A strong track record in local news reporting
- Excellent news judgement and storytelling ability
- Proven ability to identify and deliver exclusive stories
- Strong interviewing, writing and communication skills
- Experience creating content for both digital and print audiences
- Ability to build and maintain professional contacts and relationships
- Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work effectively under pressure
- Sound knowledge of media law, the IPSO Code and responsible reporting standards
- A collaborative approach and willingness to support colleagues across the newsroom
- Able to use AI tools to improve efficiency, insight and output quality
- NCTJ qualification, including shorthand, is desirable
- A driving licence and access to a car are preferred due to the geography of the patch
- Willingness to work a rota that includes some early, late and weekend shifts
Benefits
- 25 days holiday + bank holidays + your birthday off
- Holiday buy scheme for extra flexibility
- Structured career progression & ongoing training
- Pension plan
- Employee Helpline counselling and advice
- Perks & discounts including:
- Gym membership
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Eye care
- Retail discounts
- Team building days & annual volunteer charity day
About Newsquest Media Group
We are a media company with a difference. We are committed to bringing a voice to your region by investing in a passionate team of journalists who proudly serve their communities by sharing authoritative news that readers trust. Our sales teams provide local businesses with highly responsive digital advertising and marketing solutions.
We are one of the largest regional news publishers in the UK and have a portfolio of more than 250+ local news brands and magazines online and in print. With an online audience of 41 million users a month and 7 million readers a week in print, our content is read by a substantial proportion of the UK population.
In addition to our local news brands, we own several digital pure play and specialist media businesses such as s1jobs and s1homes, Exchange & Mart, and Newsquest Specialist Media. We also own LOCALiQ, an award-winning digital marketing agency that specialises in driving more leads, increasing online growth and generating return on marketing investment on behalf of thousands of UK SMBs.
