Technical.ly reporter in Louisiana

About us

Technical.ly, the country’s largest and longest-running news organization focused on state and local technology and startup ecosystems, is hiring a full-time reporter in Louisiana. Our organization’s vision: We believe innovation should come from anyone anywhere — so all communities thrive.

If you’re passionate about using journalism to strengthen local communities; interested in science, technology and entrepreneurship, economic mobility and the future of work; and want to contribute to a fast-moving newsroom by leading a must-read newsletter and exploring the latest reporting tools and best practices, this job could be for you.

Our independent newsroom covers high-growth entrepreneurship, jobs of the future and the local effects of technology (including AI), writing both for and about an informed audience to help them navigate their careers and understand the economic trends shaping their work. The goal is to make communities better, smarter and more engaged.

Our newsroom brings national context and subject matter expertise to local communities and news ecosystems. Plus, as a small org with a startup mentality, we’re probably more fun than your traditional newsroom.

See below for information on how to apply.

Position Summary

Above all else, we're hiring for someone who wants to tell great stories and become a trusted voice in Louisiana’s entrepreneurship, science, technology and economic development ecosystem. Our goal is to make Louisiana's economic future more accessible and dynamic.

The ideal candidate will excel in cultivating source relationships to consistently deliver valuable local business news, and channel it into a newsletter that’s considered a must-read for anyone in the innovation space.

Your focus area will center around Baton Rouge, with regular coverage of nearby New Orleans, while also stretching to connect ecosystems in Lafayette, Northeast Louisiana, Ruston and around the state. We collaborate with other local news organizations.

Your target audience includes both experienced technologists and entrepreneurs (who rely on Technical.ly to stay tethered to their region) and people aspiring to tech careers and entrepreneurship in Louisiana (who rely on Technical.ly to wayfind through local resources). We meet them where they are, including our email newsletters, our open Slack community and on social media. We think carefully about how our reporting informs AI tools, including chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.

You’ll work with Technical.ly’s editor for Louisiana to effectively and comprehensively report on the state’s tech and innovation economy, which includes the companies, the workforce and the support system that underpins it all.

You should be excited to follow the latest startup trends, find connections between tech and public policy, celebrate regional business successes and examine missteps, think about how to boost economic mobility and help make entrepreneurship more accessible. You’ll explore how to wield data journalism and the latest AI tools in service of these goals, as part of our newsroom with reporters across multiple states. Bonus points for being inspired by efforts to build a sustainable model for impactful local journalism.

You’ll be successful if you’re trusted on your beat and deliver must-read articles shared with other Louisiana news outlets and bespoke newsletters filled with news, information and perspective. You should have at least 2 years experience reporting in a newsroom environment, knowledge of online content management systems and social media platforms, a willingness to experiment with new formats and tools and a desire to support and learn from an experienced journalistic enterprise.

You will report to Technical.ly’s market editor for Louisiana and work closely with our geographically distributed newsroom. Regular coordination happens daily via Slack and other project management tools, as well as weekly and monthly via virtual meetings, some with the entire Technical.ly team. We also come together in person a few times per year, including our annual Builders Conference.

How to apply

Interested? Send an email to Technical.ly editorial director Danya Henninger at danya@technical.ly with “Louisiana reporter application” in the subject line. Please attach your resume, and include a letter in the body of the email explaining why you’re the right person for this role, along with 2-3 references and links to examples of your work. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so the sooner you apply, the better.

Key Responsibilities

The Technical.ly reporter in Louisiana will:

• Lead the production of a high-quality, must-read weekly newsletter written for technologists and entrepreneurs, people who aspire to join their ranks and people who work to support the innovation ecosystems in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and across Louisiana
• Develop ideas for, report and file by assigned deadlines an average of 3 original articles each week covering the people, trends, local organizations, big players, events and breaking news in local and regional innovation
• Take photos to accompany stories when possible and otherwise help collect images from sources, public databases or freelance photographers
• Experiment with social video and other storytelling methods that can help reported articles reach relevant communities
• Attend at least one tech- or startup-related event each week to network, find story ideas and spread the word about your newsletter, and live-Slack the event as it happens
• Help curate and grow the #louisiana channel in the Technical.ly Slack, and help spread the word on your reporting via social media and other channels
• Report and file monthly and quarterly tentpoles, including RealLIST features and Technical.ly Awards, guides to coworking, bootcamps and accelerators/incubators, and Venture Monitor reports
• With the editor, lead at least 6 regular meetings of the Louisiana Readers Council each year, and communicate regularly with members
• Contribute to the success of the annual Technical.ly Builders Conference each spring, and contribute to the future direction of the company by participating in the virtual summer retreat and in-person All Team Day winter gathering.

Please note: This job description is intended to convey essential responsibilities and requirements of the position. It is not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive of all duties. If you’re eager to learn and grow, we encourage you to apply. 

Qualifications

Applicants to this position should have:

• At least 2 years experience reporting in a newsroom environment; tech or business reporting is a bonus
• Strong sourcing, interviewing, storytelling and writing skills
• Interest in developing relationships and helping build a community, both online and IRL
• Flexibility in assignments and ability to jump on developing stories, from quick followups and breaking news to figuring out how new tech works and exploring new companies
• A hunger to be the best-sourced reporter on the beat, leading the region's must-read tech newsletter
• Familiarity with online content management systems
• Eagerness to learn and adapt to new methods and excitement around experimenting with new tools, formats and platforms
• A passion for local journalism and desire to help develop sustainable local news business models
• Home location in or around Baton Rouge, with the ability to reliably attend local happenings in the surrounding counties with reasonable accommodations

Details

The Technical.ly reporter in Louisiana position includes:

• Base salary of $50k to $60k, depending on experience
• Health insurance, including primary care, vision and dental
• 401k plan, including a company match of 4% of salary
• A bring-your-own-device reimbursement

Technical.ly’s HQ is based in Philadelphia and we currently have reporters based in Baltimore, DC, Pittsburgh and Delaware. This position is remote/work from home in Baton Rouge or elsewhere in Louisiana. If you desire, we can work to place you with local coworking space.

We encourage applications by people from all races, religions, national origins, genders, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and ages, as well as veterans, individuals with disabilities and people who’ve followed nontraditional education paths.