Live reporter (12 month FTC)

About us

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, make its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over.

We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

Job purpose

The Independent is seeking a live news reporter to join the title’s UK news team.

Typically the live-blogging or breaking news on the internet’s biggest talking points, the successful candidate will be genuinely enthusiastic about everything from royal news and pop culture, to politics and major international news.

The right candidate will be a trained journalist with a strong news background, and have a firm grasp on all aspects of digital publishing.

The ability to source and verify information independently for publication, as well as understanding how best to use agency content is a must. The right journalist will be both a confident reporter as well as aggregator.

You will be expected to be comfortable managing multiple priorities in a calm and methodical manner, and possess the ability to thrive in breaking and changing news situations.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone.
• We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

About you

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

• Writing clean and legally sound news copy.
• Working knowledge of newsroom SEO.
• Understand digital analytics tools.
• Have a proven track record as a news journalist.
• Act swiftly and vocally when issues arise.
• Be a problem solver with the ability to deal with issues calmly and decisively.
• Be a team-player able to work well with others.

Essential skills and experience

• Experience of successfully working in a similar role at a similar title.
• Demonstrable experience as a journalist.
• Strong familiarity with the Independent and our coverage.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to multitask.
• NCTJ or equivalent
• Skilled content creator.
• Ability to clearly communicate best practices.
• Experience of working in a dynamic fast-paced media environment.

Our values – you will deliver across all our values

Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.

Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.

Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.