The South Dartmouth Post
Hyperlocal news Published by the Pleasant-Woodside Neighbourhood Association • Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Freelance Reporter (Contract)

Location: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Position Type: Freelance (Independent Contractor), Part-Time

Hours: 20-40 hours per month

Compensation: $35 per hour

Contract Duration: May 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027

Deadline to apply: Friday, April 24, 2026, at 5 p.m. Atlantic Time

The South Dartmouth Post in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, is looking for a freelance reporter to join our team. This position is funded through the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI), a grant program that aims to enhance local news coverage across Canada. With no other news organizations based in the South Dartmouth-Wooside area, this position will dramatically increase local news coverage in the area.

Responsibilities:

  • Pitch and write stories covering breaking news, events, and issues affecting the Dartmouth community. Whether hard news or human interest, all stories should connect with public interest.
  • Develop content of varying length, ranging from short briefs to long-form/magazine-style reporting. On average, produce one or two original, 500-word stories per week.
  • Build relationships with community members, leaders, and organizations to uncover newsworthy stories that are not being told in municipal and regional media, and to capture relevant local angles on more widely reported stories.
  • Attend community events, civic meetings, and interviews as necessary.
  • Meet deadlines consistently while adhering to the Canadian Association of Journalists’ code of ethics.
  • Participate in discussions with the editorial team. The Post does not have an office, so meetings are held in community spaces (cafes and the local tavern) or virtually. In-person editorial meetings are held once a month; other communication occurs by email, text, and other electronic means and is driven by draft development and the news cycle.

Qualifications:

  • Degree in journalism or a related field, or a minimum of one year of journalism experience. Relevant experience in communications will be considered.
  • Curiosity and a willingness to ask tough questions in a professional and compassionate way.
  • Familiarity with Dartmouth and South Dartmouth is an asset.
  • Familiarity with the basics of photojournalism (framing, lighting, newsworthiness).
  • A desire to work with a start-up publication that is finding its voice, and to be part of a team of journalists and non-journalists working to establish the Post as a serious news presence in Dartmouth, a community not currently well served by other media outlets. Our mission will be to expand and improve news coverage at a time when other outlets have been shrinking or disappearing.
  • Genuine interest in local news and its role in community development.

Additional Information:

  • The position is flexible and does not require office attendance.
  • The Post encourages use of machine learning tools (e.g. AI transcription, machine-based analysis of data) but strongly discourages use of generative AI in newswriting.
  • The Post maintains a minimal social media presence and the freelance reporter is neither expected nor required to contribute to social media discourse.
  • All stories funded by the LJI are posted to a national LJI portal. The freelance reporter may be asked to post their own pieces if it is technically feasible.

Application Process:

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, C.V., and three to four published clips to editor@southdartmouth.ca. Applications will be accepted until Friday, April 24, 2026, at 5 p.m. Atlantic Time. The position begins on May 1, 2026.

We encourage individuals from historically underrepresented groups to apply and contribute to our mission of enriching local journalism.

About The South Dartmouth Post:

Founded at the start of 2025, the South Dartmouth Post is bi-monthly journalistic newsletter and news website published by the Pleasant-Woodside Neighbourhood Association, a non-profit neighbourhood association in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Heretofore run and staffed entirely by volunteers, the Post keeps its focus on hyperlocal news impacting residents of the Dartmouth South region of Halifax, about 15,000 people. The Post is distributed for free in public places throughout South and Downtown Dartmouth.

The Post holds open editorial meetings (usually at the Woodside Tavern) where community members and volunteer journalists can come and pitch stories, air grievances, or ask questions. The Post is supported by advertisers and through funding from the office of our MLA and city councillors (this funding is noted in relevant stories for transparency).