Meteorologist
Hearst · Dallas
Meteorologist, The Dallas Morning News
Create a brand of weather coverage for The Dallas Morning News that is devoted to providing meaningful, accessible, reliable information that helps residents stay safe and plan their daily lives.
Job description: Weather is one of the hottest topics in Texas, a state where all the seasons hit and the heat inspires fresh superlatives. The Dallas Morning News wants to be a daily destination for readers and build a brand around weather coverage. We are seeking a bold, creative, video-first meteorologist to join our service journalism team, built to help readers navigate daily life in North Texas. A significant emphasis for this team is weather and how it impacts people in the region.
Our meteorologist will write daily forecasts for the Dallas-Fort Worth area and focus on explaining complex weather concepts to a general audience using a smart, engaging tone.
This person should be ready to produce daily videos and experiment with new formats while developing an original voice and pushing the boundaries of traditional text-based storytelling.
Qualified candidates will be comfortable generating and reporting their own forecasts and weather-related stories and helping others in the newsroom incorporate weather into their reporting.
Communication and collaboration skills will be vital as this person will help plan coverage for major weather events, working in tandem with reporters across the newsroom.
The Dallas Morning News is investing in weather forecasting, data, tools and information. This role provides a unique opportunity for an experienced meteorologist to make an impact on a new team and in local communities, while benefiting from the support of the national Hearst Newspapers team of engineers and developers.
What will you do?
- Prepare forecasts and write stories from meteorological data gathered by satellites, forecast models and radar.
- Produce daily videos for social media that include forecasting, explainers, utility information and reader interaction
- Report on breaking weather news as it happens.
- Provide context around major weather events by explaining what happened to readers with next-day stories or videos.
- Be an ambassador for The Dallas Morning News as it expands its weather forecasting and reporting effort.
- Contribute to products such as a newsletter and “live updates” content.
- Collaborate with the team to develop weather graphics, maps, tools and charts.
- Provide support, consultation and expertise to newsroom reporters, editors and leadership during major weather events and on complex weather and climate stories.
What will it take to be successful?
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in meteorology or a related field.
- A minimum of two years working on a forecasting team.
- Must be based in Dallas-Fort Worth or be willing to move to the region.
- Strong video presence and understanding of crafting and planning video stories
- Ability to explain complicated science clearly and quickly as a voice of authority during major weather and weather-influenced events, including severe weather, flooding, tornadoes, fires and winter storms.
- Experience communicating complex weather events to the general public.
- Experience writing in the Area Forecast Discussion style.
- Judgment of when to shift plans and put an emphasis on public safety ahead of severe weather events.
- Ability to publish effectively across channels, including social media, newsletters and news stories.
- Openness to building relationships with NWS meteorologists in Dallas-Fort Worth and neighboring forecast offices.
- Valid driver's license and registered vehicle to travel to assignments
- Background in journalism, blogging or scientific writing.
- Weekend and evening work may be required as news warrants.
- AMS certification is a plus
- NWS experience is a plus.