Technical.ly events reporter in Baltimore
Technical.ly
About Us
Technical.ly, a news organization that connects and challenges a community of technologists and entrepreneurship invested in where they live, is hiring a part-time contract events reporter in Baltimore.
Our organization’s vision: We believe innovation should come from anyone anywhere — to ensure all communities thrive.
This position, with a 25-week contract and option to extend, will focus on local events, ranging from meetups and happy hours to showcases, conferences and summits. If you enjoy events and are eager to connect with the tech and entrepreneurship worlds in Baltimore City and surrounding counties (Baltimore, Carroll, Howard, Harford and Anne Arundel), this could be a great opportunity to expand your network.
Our independent newsroom covers tech, entrepreneurship and innovation in US cities, 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. Plus, as a small news org with a startup mentality, we’re probably more fun than your traditional editorial employer.
Position Summary
Technical.ly’s newsroom is made of professional journalists, but this role doesn’t necessarily have to be that. Above all else, we're hiring for someone who loves attending events, networking and immersing themselves in the Baltimore innovation scene.
The ideal candidate will excel at developing trust and have a drive to be one of the best-connected people in the community. Technical.ly’s editorial leadership will provide orientation and resources to help position you for success.
Acting as a brand ambassador for Technical.ly, you’ll use in-person event attendance to gather tips and take the temperature on trends, promote our Baltimore newsletter and public Slack, and share information about our articles and other offerings. You’ll post in Slack during each event and file a report afterward to be published on our site.
You’ll work closely with Technical.ly’s editor and reporter for Baltimore and DC, and attend virtual monthly Baltimore Readers Council meetings. There will also be opportunities to connect and work with Technical.ly reporters and editors in other geographic markets.
Because of this role’s unique scope and orientation toward community cultivation, candidates don’t need to be trained reporters, but will be expected to adhere to the highest ethical and journalistic standards. Living in the Baltimore area is required.
Interested? Send an email to Technical.ly editorial director Danya Henninger at danya@technical.ly with “Baltimore events 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 1-3 references. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so the sooner you apply, the better.
Key Responsibilities
The Technical.ly events reporter in Baltimore will:
- Track tech- and entrepreneurship-related events in the Baltimore region, and with the Baltimore editor decide on at least one to attend each week
- At the weekly event:
- Network with community members while promoting Technical.ly’s offerings, including the Baltimore weekly newsletter, public Slack, quarterly RealLIST features and annual conferences
- Live-post photos and/or takeaways from the event in the #baltimore channel of Technical.ly’s public Slack
- Solicit tips on potential stories and local industry developments
- Keep an eye out for potential partnership opportunities for Technical.ly’s editorial and client relations teams
- Write a short, 500 to 700-word article about the event to publish on the Technical.ly website, ideally within the same week
- Maintain and regularly update our existing Google Sheets database of Baltimore tech and entrepreneurship community sources
- Attend and participate in monthly meetings of Technical.ly’s Baltimore Readers Council led by Technical.ly full-time editorial staff
- Help curate the #baltimore Slack channel by live-posting and sharing interesting links and information
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:
- A desire to meet more people in Baltimore, and a drive to be one of the most connected people in the local tech and entrepreneurship scene
- Interest in developing relationships and helping build a community, both online and IRL
- Home location in the Baltimore region, with the ability to reliably attend local happenings in Baltimore City and the surrounding counties
- Flexibility in scheduling evenings and some weekends, as events may not always occur during the 9-to-5 workday
- Familiarity with Slack and/or social media conventions and etiquette
- A passion for local innovation communities and a desire to help develop sustainable local news business models
Details
The Technical.ly events reporter in Baltimore part-time contract position includes:
- A contract for $6,250 for 25 weeks paid as an independent contractor on a monthly basis
- Travel reimbursements up to $30 per week
- The opportunity to join internal Technical.ly team meetings and discussions
- Part-time access to a coworking space in Baltimore City
- The chance to pitch additional freelance stories beyond the scope of the position, paid according to Technical.ly’s pre-set freelance rates
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.
In the mid 2000s, three young journalists noticed a sweeping shift in the Mid-Atlantic’s local economies. Tech work was the fastest growing segment of emerging creative economies, but reliable coverage of that change was yet another story lost to newsroom disruption.
Together they founded Technically Media in 2009 — an independent digital media company that uses journalism to grow and serve local communities of tech professionals.
Over a decade later, community remains at the heart of Technically Media’s mission. It has become a trusted voice in the region, not only because of its specialized coverage, but for helping people build valuable connections and navigate their careers through economic change.
Technically Media serves its communities in three essential ways. Through its editorial content on Technical.ly, which features daily reporting in Delaware, Baltimore, D.C., Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia (where it also publishes social impact site Generocity), it delivers rich storytelling about changes in the local economy, and the people and organizations making an impact. Its events convene a wide swath of tech professionals, entrepreneurs and innovators, enabling them to expand their networks and explore new opportunities. Its employer branding platform offers hiring companies the tools and services to showcase their culture and recruit new talent among an engaged readership of tech professionals.
Technically Media’s unique business model and active community has made it a small but mighty force in the local news landscape. Diverse in background and perspective, each member of the 20-person team is self-driven and single-minded in their pursuit to serve the community. Bootstrapping its own growth, the Technically Media team spends much of its time listening — to sources, readers, clients, prospects and hundreds of others who are changing how work happens in their communities. Team members report that their team thrives on collaboration of thought and equality of contribution from each team member. Ideas are shared freely, answers questioned regularly, and every day is a chance to try something new.
