Arkansas Times

The Arkansas Times, a lively Little Rock-based outlet for news, politics, food and culture, is looking for a reporter to help show our readers why Arkansas is known as The Natural State.

As a member of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, your beat spans urban and rural settings. You’ll demystify the agricultural economy and farm culture for city slickers, while keeping people who live outside of the state’s urban centers updated on how decisions made at the state Capitol in Little Rock and in corporate boardrooms in Northwest Arkansas reverberate from the Ozarks to the Delta and beyond.

You’ll approach this unique beat with creativity and flexibility, showcasing the faces, voices and experiences of real Arkansans to craft engaging, personable stories about natural resources, economic opportunity, government policy and human health.

Are emu farmers the answer for people infected with Alpha-gal, a tick-borne illness that causes an allergy to red meat? How will an influx of mysterious data centers affect the ecosystems and economies around them? What does it look like to be a hippie environmentalist in a blood-red state? Can you really canoe down the Mississippi River? These are just some of the stories our ag and water reporter has taken on to help capture the economic, social and health implications of life in Arkansas.

We’re a small newsroom, meaning you’ll have plenty of opportunities to jump in on some general assignments, too. It’s all hands on deck here when the Legislature is in session, for example. And because we produce both a 24/7 news site and a monthly glossy magazine, you’ll get to write both short, punchy blogs and longform print pieces. Dream job!

Salary and Benefits: $50,000

Health insurance, two weeks of vacation, 401(k)

Moving Stipend: No