Join one of Baltimore’s Best Places to Work!

About the Company:

The Baltimore Banner is a nonprofit newsroom founded to bring high-quality local journalism to the Baltimore metro area. We are creating a vibrant, strong, trustworthy, and sustainable news organization, seeking to re-imagine the future of local news. Using a multi-platform news operation, covering a broad range of topics from local government to culture and the arts. We tell stories that reflect the community, connecting neighbors, holding government institutions accountable, and making sense of the world. All this work is grounded in truth. We believe we can contribute to a more vibrant, informed, and whole Baltimore, surrounding counties, and the state of Maryland. 

About the role:

The Baltimore Banner is seeking an empathetic and skilled storyteller to join our team as an Obituary Writer.

In this role, you will be responsible for crafting compelling, respectful, and accurate obituaries that capture the lives of people who have passed away in the Baltimore region. You will be able to navigate the fine balance of telling a person’s full life story—both the achievements and shortcomings. The ideal candidate will be able to work sensitively with grieving families and friends to get the most telling details of a person’s life, even if that means asking tough questions. You will be able to develop relationships with a wide range of funeral homes and write about people from all backgrounds.

Responsibilities:

• Interview family members, friends, and colleagues of the deceased.
• Write compelling and accurate obituaries that capture the essence of the deceased person’s life.
• Ensure that obituaries are delivered in a timely manner.
• Maintain sensitivity and empathy while interviewing bereaved family members and friends.
• Cultivate sources with a diversity of funeral homes
• Tell stories of the lives of people from all backgrounds.
• Work across social media platforms to connect readers with our content
• Generate new ideas for audience growth
• Represent The Banner in the community as needed – in person or on television or radio appearances

Job Requirements:

• A minimum of 5 years of experience in journalism
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Strong writing skills and ability to quickly make complex topics understandable
• A strong instinct for news
• Digital savvy and a familiarity with audience analytics
• Enthusiasm for content that will resonate with readers
• Teamwork and willingness to collaborate with others
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to give and receive constructive feedback
• Willingness to work some nights and weekends as news dictates
• A commitment to upholding journalistic values and ethics

We take pride in our core values that outline how we work. If you possess the qualifications outlined above and resonate with the cultural elements below, we look forward to exploring this opportunity with you.

• Do what’s right. Honesty, morality, respect and the mission guide our actions and decisions. By doing the right thing, we inspire others to believe.
• Work together. We collaborate to create something special. Together we challenge assumptions, trust each other, take risks, and foster transparent and direct communication.
• Listen to be heard. Our stories are trustworthy. They are inspired by and created for our readers. Their story is our story. Communities are at the center of our journalism, and everything we do.
• Deliver impactful results. Acting as one accountable team and driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, we deliver bold and innovative results. We act fast, execute and learn. We celebrate great outcomes.
• Be inclusive. We celebrate the uniqueness of each individual and act by curating a culture that leverages diverse perspectives as the key to fulfilling our mission. The Banner is for all of us.

The Venetoulis Institute embraces diversity and inclusion, and we are wholeheartedly committed to being proactive in inspiring a culture of inclusion across our organization. We are dedicated to establishing an organization that reflects the fundamental respect for different ways of working and living, and we assure every employee the opportunity to reach their full potential.

We are dedicated to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodation due to a disability to participate in the application process, please contact [email protected] to request accommodation. Reasonable accommodations may include, but are not limited to, adjustments in the application process, modifications or assistance regarding job interviews, and accommodations to enable access to our facilities. We appreciate the value that individuals with disabilities bring to our workforce and encourage applicants with disabilities to disclose their needs for accommodation to facilitate a smooth and inclusive recruitment experience.