The Modesto Bee is looking for an energetic, versatile journalist who thrives on fast-paced breaking news and can quickly and accurately report live stories using video, social and other digital tools. As a breaking news reporter, you will cover quick-turn stories that are relevant to our Stanislaus County readers, including crime, safety, transportation and weather news. You’ll also tackle trending stories and develop strong follow-ups that enlighten and engage readers, hold officials accountable, and identify patterns and trends. The best enterprise often comes from the breaking beat.

Strong headlines, SEO, and lead images and video is critical to the success of this beat. Successful candidates must understand how to increase readership, using analytics tools to monitor stories’ performance and adjust accordingly. This reporter will report to our managing editor and will work variable shifts.

Modesto is a growing community of 215,000 in Stanislaus County, which is home to 500,000 residents. The downtown area is known for its restaurants and entertainment scene. Modesto is home to Gallo, the largest winemaker in the world, and is an agriculture-based economy that enjoys the amenities of larger cities. The city boasts tree-lined streets and parklands with walking and bike trails. We’re 75 miles east of the Bay Area and a 2.5-hour drive from Yosemite, Monterey and skiing.

Minimum requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or relevant field

• At least two years of professional journalism experience

• Strong writing and reporting skills and excellent news judgment

• Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism

• Demonstrated ability to access and analyze public records, including campaign finance data, court records, property records and salary information

• Demonstrated ability to tell stories using a variety of tools and platforms, including capturing and editing video and data/graphics

• Demonstrated ability to work comfortably in a job that will be fast-paced, data-driven, shaped constantly by feedback and experimentation, and always evolving

• Although not required, written and spoken Spanish language fluency is a plus

• Must have reliable transportation. Must have valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance required (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works).