Cannon Falls Beacon
We are looking for a reporter at the Cannon Falls (Minnesota) Beacon who is passionate about telling stories that matter to our community — someone who is fair, accurate and ethical. The Beacon is owned by O’Rourke Media Group, a rapidly growing company that invests in journalism while other companies continue making newsroom cuts.
You’ll be joining a super-talented team of reporters equally excited to be writing about the people and events that make eastern Minnesota a great place to live. The Cannon Falls Beacon is a 2,800-circulation weekly newspaper with a fast-growing online readership.
The successful candidate for this position is someone who knows how to cover hard news and loves to write about people and their passions. Someone who knows that a good interview is often a good conversation and knows when to ask the tough questions but also when to listen. The ideal candidate has exceptional writing skills and is willing to put in the extra effort and research to deliver an engaging story. They will be passionate about their own photography.
Cannon Falls is a 40-minute drive to Minneapolis-St. Paul with all of the excitement and activities a major metro area of 3.5 million people offers. It is an area rich in the arts, sporting events, parks and dining as well as year-round outdoor activities.
Qualifications for this position include:
- Degree or diploma in journalism or a related field.
- At least 2-3 years of experience as a reporter covering local news and feature stories with an emphasis on enterprise stories.
- The ability to meet tight deadlines and report the news as it happens.
- Superior language, writing and editing skills.
- Some photography — both still and video — and associated editing software experience.
- Able to work a variety of schedules, including evenings, nights and weekends.
- Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and under pressure.
- A valid driver’s license and a reliable vehicle.
If this sounds like the perfect position for you, we would love to hear from you today.
Recent college graduates with internship experience or work on their college newspaper will be considered.
To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume, along with relevant samples of your work to Managing Editor Jim Johnson at jjohnson@orourkemediagroup.com.
About O’Rourke Media Group:
O’Rourke Media Group is a family-owned, community focused company that was established in 2018. We acquire hyper-local, print and digital community newspapers and apply our strategic playbook that results in digital transformation. Currently, we have 22 publications and affiliated websites spanning five states and a fast-growing, in-house digital marketing agency.
O’Rourke Media Group brings a contrarian business mindset to the media industry, maintains a low-cost corporate infrastructure and decentralized approach to running our business. We engage with nonprofit and other local organizations to help improve the communities we serve.