Chief Reporter - #1673211

About us

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, make its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over.

We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

The role

The Independent is seeking a chief reporter to join the title’s news desk in London.

The right candidate will be an experienced reporter, hungry to break agenda-setting exclusives and write authoritative, original journalism for the UK audience.

The job will primarily involve pitching, researching and writing original content using trusted contacts, data and traditional reporting techniques. The chief reporter is also expected to be an exceptional writer, able to helm the biggest stories of the day.

The right candidate will be an NCTJ trained journalist with a strong news background with a firm grasp on all aspects of digital publishing.

The ability to source and verify information independently for publication, as well as understanding how best to use trusted sourcing is essential. The right journalist will be a confident reporter with a proven track record of breaking exclusive stories and finding a way to take stories on.

While the job is London-based, travel around the news agenda is to be expected.

About you

Key responsibilities and skills:

• Writing clean and legally sound news copy.


• A great contacts book


• Break exclusive content


• Working knowledge of newsroom SEO.


• Understand digital analytics tools.


• Have a proven track record as a news journalist.


• Act swiftly and vocally when issues arise.


• Be a problem solver with the ability to deal with issues calmly and decisively.


• Be a team-player able to work well with others.

Essential skills and experience:

• Experience of successfully working in a similar role at a similar title.


• Demonstrable experience as a journalist.


• Strong familiarity with the Independent and our coverage.


• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to multitask.


• NCTJ or equivalent


• Skilled content creator.


• Ability to clearly communicate best practices.


• Experience of working in a dynamic fast-paced media environment.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone

We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

Our values – you will deliver across all our values

Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.

Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.

Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.