Texas football insider

The Austin American-Statesman is seeking a champion sports journalist to take readers inside Texas Longhorns football for statesman.com.

The Texas Football Insider will have a track record of creating diverse coverage portfolios that show authority of topic, tactical proficiency of SEO best practices and new-age reporting techniques that routinely distinguishes coverage from peers.

We want a writer who wants to be part of a winning team. The ideal candidate will complement the Statesman’s football beat coverage by adding high-level exclusive content that leverages source building, research proficiency and program access to deliver one-of-a-kind Longhorns football content year-round.

The Insider will give readers a peek behind the curtain with storytelling that routinely brings in new readers and drives them toward a path to subscription. Along with deeply reported content football - from current athletes and coaches to the next wave of recruits - this writer will be equally adept at producing SEO-focused content and maintaining a strong cadence of on- and off-platform content.

Night and weekend work is a requirement for this in-person role, especially during peak sports seasons. Writer will focus on Texas Longhorns but can be assigned to swarm other topics as needed.

Responsibilities

• Routinely deliver exclusive content that digs deeper than weekly or postgame news conference access.
• Build a robust network of sources to complement Longhorns beat coverage.
• Monitor SEO trends and master engagement best practices to pinpoint readership needs and deliver with maximum proficiency.
• Maintain a steady cadence of content production while, working in the background and foreground simultaneously to keep readers coming to statesman.com.
• Track daily progress to goals using metrics software (Parse.ly) and adjust beat strategy to ensure sustainable growth year-round.
• Monitor sports conversations on the Longhorns, including on Reddit, TV, message boards and social media, to stay in tune with reader needs.
• Monitor new-age reporting techniques to evolve insider coverage year-to-year.
• Contribute to evolution of Longhorns football coverage on and off platform, including podcasts, vertical video reels, newsletters and other new-age techniques.
• Proactive collaboration with a robust SEC coverage team across the USA TODAY Network.
• Contribute to other needs and perform additional responsibilities as assigned.
  
  

Requirements

• Bachelor's or master’s degree in communications, journalism or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Track record of authoritative writing/analysis, enterprise and investigative work.
• Track record of breaking news in fast-paced digital news environments.
• Track record of turning quick-strike trending news for maximum audience gains.
• Top-notch writing, editing and headline-writing skills.
• Proven experience in search engine optimization.
• Excellent news judgment.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Experience with advanced storytelling techniques on multiple platforms.
• Effective communicator; able to get along with diverse personalities.
• Able to multitask and excel under intense deadline pressure in a rapidly changing industry.
• Ability to act calmly and decisively in complex breaking news situations.
• Strong knowledge of AP style.
• Able to work early morning, night or weekend shifts.
  
  

About

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

• Your resume - one to two pages.
• A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
• Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what you’ve produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.
  
  

It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.

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