Full-time reporting opening
Journalism as it was meant to be
An independent rural weekly that made headlines worldwide is seeking a storytelling reporter for a regular full-time position or a renewable, one-year, competitively paid fellowship.
Nationwide, newspapers are being gobbled up, shutting their doors or growing hesitant to publish hard-hitting journalism. The Marion County Record is proud to buck this trend. The Record has been locally owned and operated for a century and a half and continues to aggressively report stories that matter in Marion County, Kansas. We’ve won hundreds of awards, including the Don Bolles Medal from Investigative Reporters and Editors, and have been judged the best mid-size newspaper in Kansas for overall news and writing three years running.
With around 12,000 residents, our county may appear sleepy, but there is more than meets the eye. In addition to being illegally raided by police in 2023, the Record has exposed other wrongdoing — a city clerk mishandling grants, a different police department hiring an officer with a history of misconduct — and has held power brokers accountable.
Journalists around the world covered the First Amendment violation when our newsroom was raided in August 2023. Subsequent investigations cleared the paper and led to the resignation of the police chief, who now faces felony charges. We continue to report on legal battles between our paper and the city.
In addition to our investigative work, we pride ourselves on human-focused features and other local stories that make us essential reading for county residents, who literally line up for papers each week. Our paid website records high numbers for visit duration and frequency, and our reporters are recognizable members of the community whose articles become immediately important across the county.
In our newsroom, reporters don’t have strict beats but write about all kinds of topics, many of their own choosing. In addition to strong storytelling skills and the ability to write on deadline, developing ideas and pitching your own stories are important qualities. This is not a breaking news desk, a suburban meeting beat, or a video and social media marketing experience. It’s journalism — real, old-fashioned journalism — offering you a chance to learn, grow, and shine while earning a competitive starting salary.
To apply, send your resume, a cover letter, and a minimum of three samples of your work to editor and publisher Eric Meyer at job@mnks.us.