Local Democracy Reporter – Swindon
We’re looking for an ambitious and curious Local Democracy Reporter to cover Swindon and ensure residents are properly informed about decisions taken by those in power.
This role focuses on local government, public bodies and democratic institutions, explaining how decisions are made, what they mean for local people, and holding decision‑makers to account through clear, fair and accurate reporting.
You’ll be based at our Swindon office, and will attend meetings in person wherever possible, including some evenings.
This is a BBC-funded role, with your work being shared across several platforms, including the BBC, the nationals and other local news brands.
You will be given support and development, including a structured induction and ongoing training, editorial, legal and digital support when needed, and opportunities to develop investigative, analytical and multimedia skills. You will have access to regular meetings and conferences through the BBC with the Local Democracy Reporting scheme, and opportunities to appear on TV and radio at times for wider BBC coverage.
Key Responsibilities
- Cover council meetings, committees and public decision‑making, producing clear, accurate and balanced reports
- Read agendas and papers in advance, spotting the real stories and explaining their implications for residents
- Break exclusive stories and enterprise reporting, including investigations, follow‑ups and deeper dives into key issues
- Build strong local contacts with councillors, officers, community leaders and residents, while maintaining independence
- Write digital‑first stories using headlines, structure and context to make civic journalism accessible to modern audiences
- Use multimedia where it adds value, such as short videos, images or explainers to help audiences understand complex issues
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
Essential requirements:
- Strong reporting and writing skills with a commitment to accuracy, fairness and balance
- Confidence working independently to deadlines and managing a busy diary
- The personality to contend with pressure from stakeholders and readers on contentious issues
- Ability to turn complex council business into clear, engaging stories
- Digital awareness and an understanding of how audiences consume local news online
- NCTJ qualification or equivalent (including shorthand at 100wpm), or solid equivalent experience
- Drivers licence
Desirable:
- NQJ or senior qualification or equivalent experience
- Experience covering councils, courts or public bodies (or a clear interest in this field)
- Extensive experience working in a newsroom
- Experience working on multimedia, including video
When applying, please include a short covering note explaining your interest in the role and links to examples of your journalism. If selected to progress to an interview, we will invite you to a short writing task.
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.
