Eagles Beat Writer, Sports

Summary

The Philadelphia Inquirer is seeking an experienced beat writer for its award-winning team covering the Philadelphia Eagles. This is one of the most important beats in Inquirer Sports, given the outsized interest in the Eagles by a hyper passionate fan base, the team's status as perennial contenders and defending Super Bowl champions.

What You’ll Do

• The Eagles beat writer will report to a team/assignment editor and work with his/her teammates, including other beat writers and nationally-recognized columnists.
• You will serve as the Inquirer’s eyes and ears at Lincoln Financial Field on players, front office officials and competing media at practices and games, at home and on the road.
• You will be vigilant and reactive for all Eagles breaking news, and be available to write news stories as they happen and perhaps in real time in the Inquirer’s live blog.
• You will monitor Eagles topics trending on social media, as well as blossom sports-adjacent story ideas that touch on business, fashion, culture, lifestyle and personality.
• You will be an active participant in developing coverage strategy with the rest of the editorial team, including creating content (video, audio or written) on social media and various off-platform entities such as YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc.
• You also will serve as a front-facing sports personality, with the ability to discuss topics pertinent to the team on multiple Inquirer platforms, including video projects and podcasts.
• The Inquirer sports desk has a long history of great journalism. We expect this person to continue that tradition of news breaking and in-depth storytelling while bringing a fresh and digital-first approach to the beat.
• Contribute to an inclusive and positive work environment
  
  

Who We’re Looking For

• The ideal candidate demonstrates a strong commitment to fostering a collaborative, team-oriented environment. This person is a dogged, thought-provoking interviewer who can recognize quickly what the story is but also someone patient enough to allow a story to develop.
• The Eagles beat writer comes with an established network of sources and contacts across sports but especially the NFL.
• He/she also is someone who can quickly build rapport and trust with new sources, has an effective gauge of Philadelphia’s sports culture – especially the Eagles’ unique fan base – and will collaborate thoughtfully with editors and fellow writers to craft well-reported and researched stories.
• You should deliver insightful stories in the offseason, especially during the slowest news weeks, with reporting and analysis that demonstrates to readers The Inquirer’s expertise on the beat. We're looking for a reporter who brings an endless list of ideas to their beat, during the season and offseason.
• You should also be a talented wordsmith and idea creator, working closely not only with his/her sports editor but with editors on other sports that fall within their knowledge wheelhouse. You should always be thinking about what’s next for players, the team, the league, and what readers are looking forward to.
• The ideal candidate will have 5-7 years of beat experience, covering high-level college or professional sports, including the NFL. He/she will have deep knowledge of sports’ increasing influence on society and culture.
• This is a highly competitive beat that requires a writer with a high motor. You will own all aspects of covering the team, on and off the field. You will be expected to break news, or react quickly to news and casual fan content.
• The public-facing nature of this job requires a confident public speaker who can convene diverse audiences and lead discussions in creative and productive ways on camera. Further, this candidate will be an active participant on social media, helping produce written stories into social posts that stand on their own.
  
  

About Us.

Since 1829, The Philadelphia Inquirer has been “asking on behalf of the people” of Philadelphia and the region by providing essential journalism. Locally owned and headquartered in Center City Philadelphia, The Inquirer is a for-profit public benefit corporation under the non-profit Lenfest Institute. Its multiple brand platforms — including newspapers, Inquirer.com, e-Editions, apps, newsletters, podcasts, and live events — provide Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism to a growing audience that includes more than 170,000 subscribers and 20 million monthly impressions. As part of our mission, we are seeking candidates who share our passion for indispensable journalism and our drive to create a sustainable business model to support it.

The Inquirer is an equal opportunity employer for all regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, and any other category protected by federal, state and/or local law.