Sports Reporter

St. Cloud Live is a fast-growing, emerging digital and print news publication dedicated to delivering the local news, entertainment, and stories that matter most to the St. Cloud metro area. With a strong focus on digital innovation and audience engagement, St. Cloud Live’s journalism has earned widespread recognition, including nine awards from the Minnesota Newspaper Association in 2024, with four first-place honors! Located just an easy drive from the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro, St. Cloud offers the perfect blend of small-city living and access to big-city amenities. Residents enjoy a thriving local arts and culture scene, abundant parks and trails, growing restaurants and breweries, and community events that make everyday life vibrant and connected. With a lower cost of living than the Twin Cities and a strong sense of community, St. Cloud is an appealing place to grow your career and your life. St. Cloud Live is part of Forum Communications Company, a fifth-generation, family-owned media organization with more than 20 publications across the Upper Midwest, collectively reaching more than 5 million readers each month.

Job Summary

This sports reporting position is responsible for the news gathering efforts within the sports department, with a focus on building a loyal, engaged audience on each unique publishing platform.  The focus will be on covering the Division I St. Cloud State men's hockey team along with feature writing for other St. Cloud State athletic programs. In addition, this position will also help out with prep sports coverage (including leading local prep hockey coverage) while writing features and occasionally covering events/games. 

Essential Functions

• Research, report, and write compelling stories on assigned teams, games, athletes, and sports-related topics
• Provide consistent coverage of high school and college athletics, including game features, feature stories and using video for spotlight interviews
• Generate original story ideas that drive audience engagement, digital subscriptions, and readership growth
• Determine story angles, conduct interviews, and produce accurate, timely content aligned with editorial standards for both print and digital platforms
• Respond quickly to breaking news by gathering information, writing stories, and producing photos or multimedia content under tight deadlines
• Publish content efficiently and accurately using digital content management systems and website platforms
• Create engaging multimedia elements (photos, videos, social posts) to enhance storytelling and expand digital reach
• Promote content across social media channels to increase visibility, audience interaction, and brand loyalty
• Collaborate with editors, photographers, and others across departments and locations to produce high-quality, cohesive coverage
• Contribute to broader sports and outdoors coverage as needed, adapting to seasonal and regional priorities
• Maintain strong news judgment and uphold journalistic integrity, accuracy, and AP style standards
• Build relationships with coaches, athletes, and community members to support ongoing coverage and source development
• Monitor sports trends, analytics, and audience insights to inform content strategy and improve performance
• Support and contribute to ongoing digital initiatives aimed at growing audience engagement and subscriptions
• Maintain prompt and reliable attendance.

Non-Essential Duties and Functions

• Performs additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism or Mass Communications preferred, or equivalent reporting/writing experience.
• Previous writing experience for a newspaper, website, magazine, or specialty publication preferred
• Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with a solid grasp of AP style
• Photography and basic photo editing experience preferred, with the ability to capture and select compelling visuals
• Demonstrated passion for sports, with a deep knowledge of high school, college, and regional athletics
• Understanding of the important role sports play in local communities, including their impact on school spirit, identity, and community connection
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships with coaches, athletes, and other community members
• Strong news judgment and the ability to identify compelling story angles that resonate with local audiences
• Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines and organize multiple assignments, while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail
• Familiarity with digital publishing tools, social media platforms, audience engagement strategies, and digital analytics/digital tools is a plus
• Willingness and ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends as needed, based on sports schedules and coverage needs
• Must possess a valid driver’s license and a driving record that is insurable by the company. 
• Must carry an acceptable level of vehicle insurance as required by the company. 

Expected compensation for this role is between $45,000 - $55,000, based on qualifications and experience.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Forum Communications Company is a family-owned media and technology leader with more than a century of delivering trusted, quality journalism and innovative business solutions. Storytelling is at the heart of who we are, but today, we’re so much more than a newspaper. As one of the Upper Midwest’s leading media organizations, we’re driving the future across print and digital news, sports streaming, technology, broadcasting, commercial printing, and full-service agency advertising.

Forum Communications Company offers the following to all Full-Time and 32-Hour Benefited employees:

• Health, dental, and vision packages
• Paid maternity and parental leave
• Company-paid short-term disability and life insurance
• Additional options for critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity coverage
• Retirement benefits with company match
• Generous PTO and paid volunteer hours

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. FCC currently does not offer employer sponsorship.

Notice of AI Use in Job Application Review

As part of our commitment in creating a fair, efficient, and consistent hiring process we may use artificial intelligence (AI) to help our recruiting teams organize, summarize, and analyze information provided by candidates, including resumes, application responses, and other materials submitted during the application process.AI may be used to identify patterns, highlight relevant skills, and experience, and assist in comparing a candidate’s qualifications with the requirement of a specific role. These tools are to improve efficiency and consistency while supporting more informed hiring decisions, which will ultimately be made by the hiring team.