State Politics Reporter

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Job description

We are looking for an aggressive, news-breaking journalist to be a State Politics Reporter for The News & Observer (Raleigh) and The Herald-Sun (Durham). This reporter will be based in Raleigh and will cover the North Carolina legislature, state government and political campaigns, delivering original reporting that is not only competitive but dominant on the stories that matter to our local readers.

The focus for this reporter will be the social and cultural issues that crop up frequently in North Carolina politics and sometimes land the state in the national spotlight. Those include policies and controversies related to abortion, LGBTQ issues, guns and immigration. You will cover these debates over civil liberties and religious liberty as they play out against the backdrop of North Carolina cities' rapid growth and the tensions that causes between the state's large rural population and a flood of newcomers.

This is not a traditional beat reporting job focused on coverage of meetings and routine events. You will focus on urgent enterprise and revelatory reporting. During certain times, such as the legislative session, all of the state politics team will contribute to coverage that distinguishes The N&O and NC Insider.

The Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill region is among the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the nation. Known as the Triangle, the area is home to major universities, state government, numerous corporate headquarters and fast-growing startups. Our journalists work in communities with vibrant choices for foodies, arts and music lovers and outdoors enthusiasts.

As our State Politics Reporter:

• You will be expected to move fast on breaking news while producing exclusives that make a difference in the lives of our readers by holding officials accountable and unearthing the impact of their actions.
• And like all journalists at McClatchy, you must have the desire and the skill to build audience loyalty, engagement and growth through compelling public service journalism.
• You will proactively pursue your own stories as well as collaborate on stories with reporters in our North Carolina newsrooms.
• You must be an idea generator and have knowledge of the issues important to our local audiences in North Carolina. An understanding of North Carolina politics and policy issues is desirable.
• You will work traditional sources as well as use social media and analytics to identify the stories people are talking about or will be talking about.

To be successful in this role, you must:

• Have a commitment to change - to constantly adapting to the ever-evolving ways in which readers seek out and interact with journalism.
• Enthusiastically participate in ongoing conversations about what's working and what's not, and an equally enthusiastic commitment to adapting accordingly.

Qualifications:

• Education: College degree preferred.
• Experience: 3 years of reporting experience in a news organization preferred.
• A track record of breaking news and delivering exclusives.
• Adept at building source networks and having a constant flow of story ideas.
• An understanding of audience metrics and social and search trends.
• Fresh writing style, with an engaging, sharp and conversational voice.
• Ability to find and analyze data to inform reporting.
• Ability to work collaboratively to aggressively tackle stories and make McClatchy first and best.
• Must have valid driver's license.
• Must have vehicle insurance (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works).
• Must have reliable transportation.

Personal Attributes:

• Energy, flexibility and motivation to crush the competition.
• The ability to monitor a vast amount of information for a wide audience, matched with discerning judgment about what to pursue.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills are required, as well as the ability to execute both quickly and well, with creativity.
• A collaborative style that works comfortably across teams is a necessity.

When Applying: Please include a link to your online portfolio or samples of your work.
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