We are looking for an ambitious, authoritative reporter to own coverage of the Minnesota Timberwolves at our headquarters in
Minneapolis MN. The Wolves are one of Minnesota's biggest sports stories, with championship expectations, a passionate fan base and personalities that resonate far beyond the court. We want a reporter who can break news, develop sources, deliver smart analysis and produce distinctive journalism that fans can't get anywhere else.
Games matter, but routine previews, recaps and traditional game coverage won't be the center of this beat. Our priority is exclusive reporting, authoritative analysis, ambitious enterprise and useful explanatory journalism. We want our reporter to own the conversation around the Wolves by anticipating what fans want to know, uncovering what they don't and providing context and expertise they can't find elsewhere.
That means becoming an authority on the franchise's marquee players while going beyond player profiles to find consequential stories about how the Wolves and NBA operate - how championship rosters are built and sustained, how money and league rules shape decisions, how players wield influence and how the game is changing. The reporter will use strong reporting and audience insights to deliver coverage across stories, newsletters, live coverage, video, podcasts and social platforms.
The schedule will include nights and weekends and will be adjusted as needed to accommodate the coverage plans of the sports department.
Responsibilities- Own news and enterprise coverage of the Minnesota Timberwolves - both the team and the business - across digital platforms.
- Develop deep sources throughout the Wolves organization and NBA to break news and consistently produce original, exclusive reporting.
- Be a national authority on the franchise's most consequential players and the stories surrounding them.
- Produce distinctive enterprise journalism on roster construction, coaching, ownership, player influence, the business of basketball and leaguewide change.
- Anticipate what both fans and broader audiences want to know about the team and its personalities. Provide analysis and explanatory journalism that shows why developments matter.
- Use audience insights, search trends and performance data to identify coverage opportunities and reach readers across newsletters, live coverage, video, podcasts and social platforms.
- Travel to selected games and major events when being there will meaningfully improve our reporting and coverage.
- Collaborate with editors, visual journalists, audience specialists and other reporters on ambitious sports journalism.
Qualifications- Significant reporting experience in a fast-paced, digital-first newsroom, with strong news judgment and deadline skills.
- A demonstrated ability to develop sources, break news and produce original reporting.
- Strong writing and analytical skills across breaking news, enterprise and explanatory journalism.
- A track record of finding consequential enterprise stories beyond profiles and traditional beat coverage.
- An understanding of digital sports audiences and how audience data can inform coverage.
- Experience covering the NBA, professional basketball or another major sports beat is preferred, along with knowledge of roster construction, the salary cap, trades, free agency and the draft.
- Must be currently legally authorized to work in the U.S. without sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B status, 0-1, TM, CPT, OPT, etc.). We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.
Compensation & Benefits Annual pay, established by the contract of the Minnesota Newspaper and Communications Guild, is between $87,638 and $97,000.
Compensation will depend on a candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies and experience and may fall outside the range shown.
The Minnesota Star Tribune offers a competitive benefits package including a 401(k) match, medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, paid time off and other benefits. Learn more at benefits.startribunecompany.com.
To ApplyUpload a resume, examples of your best work and a memo describing how you
would make the Minnesota Star Tribune the essential destination for Timberwolves fans.
Explain how you would develop sources and break news, identify opportunities for
enterprise and exclusive reporting, distinguish our coverage in a competitive NBA media
landscape, build relationships with readers and use formats such as video, newsletters
and live coverage to expand the audience for our Timberwolves reporting.
