Education Reporter

Job Description

Tell the stories shaping the future of education in Western Pennsylvania.

Education is one of the most important and most debated issues facing our communities. The decisions made in classrooms, school board meetings, state legislatures, and local neighborhoods affect students, families, educators, taxpayers, and the future of our region.

If you're a journalist who thrives on breaking news, loves digging into complex issues, and believes great reporting can help communities better understand themselves, we'd like to meet you.

90.5 WESA, Pittsburgh's NPR News Station, is looking for an Education Beat Reporter to join our award-winning newsroom. This is an opportunity to cover one of the region's most important beats while producing journalism that informs, explains, and holds institutions accountable.

You'll report across broadcast, digital, and social platforms, producing everything from daily news spots to enterprise stories, investigations, and audio features that help our audience understand not just what happened but why it matters.

What You'll Cover

You'll be WESA's lead reporter on education, covering K-12 schools and the broader forces shaping education across Western Pennsylvania.

Your reporting will include:

• Breaking news and daily developments affecting schools and students.
• School boards, district leadership, and education policy.
• State and federal legislation affecting education funding and operations.
• Charter schools, vouchers, school closures, and achievement gaps.
• Accountability reporting that examines whether public institutions are delivering on their commitments.
• The real-life impact of education decisions through the voices of students, families, educators, and communities.
• You'll build expertise that makes you the go-to source on education issues throughout the region.

What You'll Do

Every day is different. One morning you might be covering a school board vote. The next, you're interviewing students for a feature or analyzing education data for an investigative story.

You'll:

• Report, write, produce, and edit stories for radio, digital, and social platforms.
• Deliver accurate, engaging spot news under tight deadlines.
• Develop enterprise, investigative, and explanatory journalism.
• Gather compelling field audio, photos, and video.
• Pitch original story ideas that deepen our audience's understanding of education.
• Build trusted relationships with students, families, educators, policymakers, and community leaders.
• Collaborate across our newsroom on major projects and special coverage.
• Represent WESA at community events and public appearances.
• Participate in station fundraising efforts that support our public service mission.

Who You Are

• You're curious, collaborative, and passionate about public service journalism. You know how to balance urgency with depth and understand that the best stories begin with listening.
• You'll thrive in this role if you:
• Have at least three years of professional reporting experience.
• Produce compelling stories across multiple platforms.
• Can move comfortably between breaking news and long-form enterprise reporting.
• Write with clarity, accuracy, fairness, and empathy.
• Enjoy making complicated topics understandable.
• Have strong news judgment and impeccable journalistic ethics.
• Are energized by building sources and uncovering stories others miss.
• Experience in public radio is a plus, but it's not required.
• Knowledge of data reporting, public records, court documents, FOIA/Right-to-Know requests, and investigative reporting techniques is also valuable.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in journalism or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Three or more years of professional newsroom reporting experience.
• Excellent writing, reporting, interviewing, and multimedia storytelling skills.
• Ability to gather and edit audio for broadcast.
• Experience with photography and video production is helpful.
• Willingness to work occasional evenings, weekends, and breaking news situations.
• A commitment to ethical journalism, collaboration, and public service.

About WESA

90.5 WESA is Pittsburgh's NPR News Station and home to one of the region's most ambitious local newsrooms. We produce trusted journalism across broadcast, digital, newsletters, podcasts, and live events, serving audiences throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Our newsroom values curiosity, accountability, collaboration, innovation, and journalism that helps our community better understand itself.

About Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting

Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting is home to 90.5 WESA and 91.3 WYEP, serving Southwestern Pennsylvania through award-winning journalism, exceptional music programming, digital storytelling, and community engagement.

At Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting, we're passionate about the work we do and the impact it has on our community. We foster a collaborative, supportive culture where ideas are welcomed, leaders are approachable, and teamwork is part of our everyday experience. We believe people do their best work when they have the flexibility to balance their professional and personal lives, and we embrace that philosophy by creating an environment built on trust, respect, and accountability.

We also offer:

• Competitive salary starting at a minimum $51,000, based on experience.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer match.
• Three weeks of paid vacation.
• Paid sick leave and company holidays.
• Twelve weeks of paid parental leave.
• Professional development support, including conferences, training, and continuing education.
• The opportunity to do meaningful journalism that makes a difference.

This position is based in our Pittsburgh office. Standard business hours are 9:00-5:00 Monday through Friday, with occasional evening or weekend work.

Our Commitment

Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive, equitable, diverse workplace where all employees feel welcomed, respected, and empowered to succeed.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

We Want to Hear From You

We know that great journalists don't always check every box on a job description. If you're excited about this opportunity but your experience doesn't perfectly match every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. Tell us your story! We're interested in what you'll bring to our newsroom.

Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and proudly encourages applicants from all backgrounds and experiences.

Ready to help tell the stories that shape Western Pennsylvania? We'd love to hear from you. Please apply and tell us more about yourself. Visit our careers page to get more details and to apply.

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