Purpose

• East Coast Radio is looking for a Digital News Reporter to deliver engaging, accurate, and timely news content across digital platforms, helping grow audiences while maintaining ECRs reputation as a trusted news source.

Requirements

• Matric/Grade 12
• National Diploma or Degree in Journalism, including broadcasting studies or equivalent.
• Two years related experience in a commercial environment, either radio news, print or online.
• Sub editing experience

Skills & Competencies

• Web content management
• Exceptional writing and English language skills
• Microsoft Office and PhotoShop
• CMS experience e.g. with Word Press
• Multimedia skills
• Sound recorder and editing equipment
• Office equipment
• Defamation laws / Broadcast laws / Media laws
• Basic film editing and photography skills

Responsibilities

Traffic Growth: 

• Achieve and maintain monthly unique browser and page view targets across ECR's digital platforms

Create Online News Posts and Web Content:

• Compile/ add all relevant Newswatch web stories every day.
• Transcribe / oversee the transcription of news stories used on-air for the Newswatch website.
• Constantly update, edit and review all the online news stories
• Create online versions of Newswatch-related on-air features

Research, & Content write-up for Online Features and Regulars: 

• Generate story ideas and source content for website
• Create more in-depth stories for online than for on air (slightly different offering)
• Write online features, invite and edit opinion pieces

Video Creation and Production:

• Plan, and coordinate short-form video content for social media (Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts)
• Produce longer video packages and explainers for the ECR website and YouTube channel
• Shoot and edit field video during news events, press conferences, and community stories
• Manage a video content calendar aligned with the editorial and social strategy
• Repurpose audio and on-air content into compelling video formats for digital audiences

Social Media Management:

• Manage and grow ECR Newswatch's presence across all platforms: Instagram, X (Twitter), Facebook
• Develop and execute a platform-specific content strategy tailored to each audience and format
• Create platform-native content: Reels, Stories, TikToks, Shorts, carousels, and live broadcasts
• Write sharp, engaging social copy that drives clicks, shares, saves, and comments
• Monitor comments, engage with the audience, and respond to trending conversations in real time
• Track and analyse social metrics monthly (reach, engagement rate, follower growth, link clicks) and report on performance
• Stay ahead of social media algorithm changes and platform updates; adapt strategy accordingly
• Identify viral content opportunities and trending audio, formats, and hashtags relevant to news.
• Collaborate with on-air talent to amplify their content and cross-promote digital platforms

Website Performance:

• Monitor website performance through Google Analytics 4 and other analytics tools
• Analyse user behaviour (bounce rate, time on page, scroll depth, conversion) and apply insights to content decisions
• Report on key digital metrics weekly and monthly to the News Editor
• Identify and troubleshoot issues affecting user experience or content discoverability

AI Disruption:

• Stay current with AI disruption trends and develop content strategies that remain community-indispensable rather than traffic-dependent

SEO Best Practice:

• Write SEO-optimised headlines, subheadings, meta descriptions, and URL slugs for all web content
• Apply on-page SEO techniques: internal linking, image alt text, structured content, and schema markup where applicable
• Optimise article structure for featured snippets and Google Discover visibility
• Perform regular content audits to update, consolidate, or retire underperforming articles
• Monitor organic search performance through Google Analytics 4 and Search Console; produce monthly SEO reports
• Ensure all published content follows SEO best practice before going live

General:

• Attend newsroom editorial meetings
• Liaise with anchors, editor and deputy editor to drive traffic to online versions of news stories.

Ref No

• DNR01

Remuneration

• Market Related

Centre

• East Coast Radio