Your chance to hold those in power to account as a local democracy reporter

So in a groundbreaking step to further bolster the power of local reporting in the Harrogate district, the Harrogate Advertiser is recruiting a Local Democracy Reporter who will investigate, scrutinise and report on local government at Harrogate Borough Council and at North Yorkshire County Council.

Analysing how public money is spent will be key to this role and the new LDR reporters, which are being recruited throughout the UK as part of an innovative collaboration between the BBC and regional publishers, will be expected to examine the everyday inner workings of local government.

Communities want a transparent council and the new LDR reporters will be responsible for bringing essential news to the public’s attention.

The new reporters will have an in depth understanding of the workings of local government and be able to deliver clear, accessible content for our readers.

The new reporters must have a track record of delivering accurate and original content on strict deadlines, with all content being politically-neutral and balanced. Reporters will be expected to deliver fresh reports on a daily basis, and also provide multimedia content, such as live two-way interviews for broadcast content, when required. The ideal candidates will also have a solid knowledge of social media and understand how to use it to drive audience engagement.

Candidates will also be qualified to NCE-standard or equivalent with two years experience working to daily deadlines alongside a shorthand proficiency of 100 words per minute.

This role is a two year fixed term contract. As part of this, the successful candidates can look forward to a competitive salary, holiday entitlement, pension scheme plus other benefits available as a Johnston Press employee.

To apply please send your CV and a covering letter to democracy.jobs@jpress.co.uk, please ensure you include the application reference and location in your email. Deadline for applications: April 3rd 2018.