Water & Environment Reporter

Location: Greeley/Fort Collins, Colorado

Reports to: Interim News Director

Supervises: n/a

Status: Full time, salaried

Position summary

The Water & Environment Reporter covers the Colorado River Basin and environmental issues in northern Colorado. The reporter is responsible for reporting and communicating information in a clear, engaging, and professional manner both on-air and on KUNC’s digital platforms. They must be a productive, responsible, and enterprising individual possessing a passion for how regional water and environmental issues in the Colorado River Basin connect to the KUNC listening area, which encompasses Colorado’s Front Range, the Eastern Plains, and mountain communities. This is position is partially grant-funded.

Key responsibilities

• Reports, writes and produces original audio and digital stories from across KUNC’s listening area that live up to KUNC’s and NPR's standards for accuracy, fairness, and newsworthiness
• Using the CRNC Strategic Plan, works collaboratively to design and implement a vision and strategy for KUNC’s Colorado Water and Environment Desk that ensures relevant and engaging news content that meets the needs of our community.
• Develops, reports and produces stories that are seen through a “solutions” lens, when appropriate, working with KUNC’s solutions-trained editor.
• Cultivates diverse sources and makes use of reporting tools like FOIA and CORA, database acquisition and analysis and data mining to uncover original stories that matter.
• Plans, assigns, schedules, and edits stories that originate from the desk and include the station’s environmental coverage.
• Familiarizes themselves with the required deliverables under the project’s 2-year grant and meets expectations.
• Maintains and further develops the desk’s ongoing content sharing consortium with partner outlets.
• Reports both short-term and medium-term editorial projects, including developing original story ideas.
• Writes and compiles regular reports that document the fulfillment of the desk's grant requirements, as outlined in the grant agreement.
• Uses and creates audience engagement opportunities to become informed on topics important to audiences.
• Files original reporting to all editorial platforms, including digital and visual media, social networks, and various audio platforms, with the goal of reaching the largest audiences with the biggest impact.
• Build a robust list of sources they speak to regularly to both break news and understand what is happening in our listening area.
• Completes data analysis; requests records under state and federal laws; obtains original documents; completes fact checking and verification.
• Uncovers and reports important news information and generates stories that go beyond chronicling and create impact and potential change.
• Contributes general news story ideas and project ideas to the newsroom.
• Attends and participates in newsroom editorial and planning meetings.
• Participate in station fundraising, development and promotional functions.
• Generates newscast content on topics related to ongoing and previous investigations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED is required and a bachelor’s degree in journalism, broadcast communication or similar field is preferred.
• Three (3) years of prior experience reporting news is required.
• Valid Colorado driver’s license and access to a vehicle are required.
• Must be in Colorado broadcast coverage area for KUNC.
• Bilingual in Spanish is preferred.

Preferred qualifications

• Familiarity with Northern Colorado, Colorado, or Western issues and communities.

Compensation and benefits

Salary range: $60,000 - $75,000, commensurate with experience.

Benefits include health insurance, dental, vision, paid time off, holidays, professional development, and hybrid work options.

Equal opportunity statement

KUNC / Community Radio for Northern Colorado is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we serve and to creating a workplace grounded in respect, inclusion, accountability, and public service. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds and experiences to apply.

How to apply

Send cover letter, resume, work samples, and list of references to human.resources@kunc.org.