The Watford Observer is seeking a Reporter to join our team and help us expand our use of AI to deliver first-class news. The successful candidate will be at the forefront of a new era in journalism, utilising AI technology to create local and hyper-local content for the Observer while also applying their traditional journalism skills and news sense and working as part of the team in Watford.

This role will blend some traditional, on‑the‑ground reporting with the growing capability of AI‑powered journalism tools, designed to help you work faster, smarter and at higher impact. You’ll use AI to speed up rewrites, find background information, find stories and organise content — while applying strong journalistic judgement, original reporting, and an ability to turn live moments into stories that drive audience growth.

The successful candidate will be part of a rota of reporters covering early and late shifts, as well as weekends.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone passionate about journalism and the potential for AI to contribute to the way we produce and consume news, without losing sight of the importance of quality reporting and writing. This is a proactive role that requires a keen news sense and an innate understanding of what makes a strong story and what audiences want to read across a whole range of platforms.

As an AI-assisted reporter, you will have the opportunity to develop your news and technical skills, including learning how to manage and utilise AI technology effectively while employing your core journalistic skills to the sourcing, selection, angle and presentation of your digital content. A whole host of audience and content analytics will aid you in refining and perfecting your content to meet the needs of audiences and drive growth.

You'll play a key role in ensuring that our articles meet the highest standards of accuracy, information, and compliance with media law, plagiarism, and privacy, utilising your journalistic expertise alongside AI tools.

Key Responsibilities

Work with an AI system to help write news articles, while also utilising your journalism skills to maintain the quality and authenticity of the content
Cover breaking news as it happens by running live blogs and publishing updates ahead of our rivals
Ensure that all content produced meets legal and ethical standards, including those related to media law, plagiarism, privacy, and accuracy
Source stories and ideas from a range of sources, proactively building and refining a news list of high-quality, engaging digital content
Identify and deliver areas to expand our coverage into, as well as the topics and story types that will resonate
Efficiently upload and manage stories, using time-saving AI tools and techniques to ensure a seamless process without compromising the quality of the content
Contribute to the development of AI technology by monitoring the performance of AI-generated content and identifying areas for improvement
Work closely with our existing editorial teams to help integrate selected AI-generated content into a variety of newsrooms
Train other reporters in the use of AI technology
Stay up to date with industry trends and best practices related to AI and journalism
Meet page view targets.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

NCTJ diploma or equivalent
Excellent writing and editing skills, with strong attention to detail
A strong understanding of journalistic principles and practices
Excellent working knowledge of relevant media law and adherence to the Editors’ Code of Conduct are vital to fulfilling the functions of the role
Creativity and innovation, with a willingness to experiment with new approaches and techniques
Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment and manage multiple priorities simultaneously
Ability to analyse data and generate insights to inform content decisions.

Benefits

25 days holiday + bank holidays + your birthday off
Holiday buy scheme for extra flexibility
Structured career progression & ongoing training
Pension plan
Employee Helpline counselling and advice
Perks & discounts, including:
Gym membership
Cycle to Work scheme
Eye care
Retail discounts
Team building days & annual volunteer charity day

About Newsquest Media Group

We are a media company with a difference. We are committed to bringing a voice to your region by investing in a passionate team of journalists who proudly serve their communities by sharing authoritative news that readers trust. Our sales teams provide local businesses with highly responsive digital advertising and marketing solutions.

We are one of the largest regional news publishers in the UK and have a portfolio of more than 250+ local news brands and magazines online and in print. With an online audience of 41 million users a month and 7 million readers a week in print, our content is read by a substantial proportion of the UK population.

In addition to our local news brands, we own several digital pure play and specialist media businesses such as s1jobs and s1homes, Exchange & Mart, and Newsquest Specialist Media. We also own LOCALiQ, an award-winning digital marketing agency that specialises in driving more leads, increasing online growth and generating return on marketing investment on behalf of thousands of UK SMBs.

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