Write a weekly Austin-focused newsletter promoting local shopping and small businesses. Responsibilities include curating timely recommendations, profiling businesses, reporting on local trends, interviewing owners and experts, developing cohesive editorial plans, writing engaging content, and collaborating through editing. The role may also involve discussing newsletter content on a podcast.
City Cast Austin is seeking a sharp, voice-driven writer to create a weekly newsletter celebrating and supporting Austin’s small business community. This role will focus on helping readers discover where to shop local while spotlighting the people and trends shaping Austin’s independent business scene. The ideal candidate knows Austin well, has strong opinions about where to spend money locally, and is excited to turn that knowledge into a smart, timely, and highly readable weekly guide.
Deadline to apply: November 20, 2026
What You’ll Do- Write a weekly City Cast Austin newsletter focused on small businesses and local shopping, with a clear point of view and a strong, engaging voice.
- Create a timely shopping guide in each issue, curating smart, specific recommendations tied to the moment (for example: top spots for local sports gear, best takeout options for your summer picnic, or seasonal gift guides).
- Develop a complementary second segment each week, either profiling a specific local business or breaking down a trend affecting Austin's small business ecosystem.
- Pitch a cohesive newsletter plan each week, ensuring that the shopping guide and second segment are connected thematically without feeling repetitive.
- Proactively identify, reach out to, and interview small business owners, operators, and experts for the profile and reporting portions of the newsletter.
- Write a thoughtful, upbeat outro featuring good news, local tips, or special recommendations that leave readers feeling informed and inspired to shop local.
- Collaborate closely with the City Cast Austin team and work with the Executive Producer through the editing process to sharpen structure, clarity, and impact.
- (Bonus) Discuss your reporting and recommendations on the City Cast Austin podcast when appropriate.
RequirementsWhat You Bring
- A strong, confident writing voice and a love of service journalism that helps readers make smart, local choices.
- Deep knowledge of Austin and its small business landscape, or a proven ability to learn it quickly and thoroughly.
- Experience pitching and executing reported stories or newsletters with a clear editorial vision.
- The ability to connect ideas across segments and build a newsletter that feels intentional, cohesive, and fresh week after week.
- Strong reporting instincts, including comfort with cold outreach and interviewing local business owners.
- A strong existing network of relationships within Austin’s small business community that enables quick sourcing, original reporting, and insider-level recommendations.
- A collaborative mindset and openness to editing and feedback in a team-driven environment.
- Bonus: Comfort speaking about your work on a podcast or interest in growing as an on-mic contributor.
Benefits
Compensation
Compensation is commensurate with experience and topic - starting at $40/hour, with an expectation of five hours per week. (Any other contributions are negotiable on a per-project basis).
To Apply
Please submit a resume and a cover letter and 2-3 writing samples showcasing your voice. In your cover letter, we'd also love to hear your pitch for what your first edition of this weekly newsletter could cover and why Austin readers would love it.
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Austin has a diverse and thriving tech ecosystem thanks to home-grown companies like Dell and major campuses for IBM, AMD and Apple. The state’s flagship university, the University of Texas at Austin, is known for its engineering school, and the city is known for its annual South by Southwest tech and media conference. Austin’s tech scene spans many verticals, but it’s particularly known for hardware, including semiconductors, as well as AI, biotechnology and cloud computing. And its food and music scene, low taxes and favorable climate has made the city a destination for tech workers from across the country.
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