Investigative Reporter
We are seeking an aggressive reporter who will deliver exclusive accountability journalism that holds the powerful accountable and illuminates critical problems facing California and the West. At McClatchy, we have an unwavering commitment to telling stories that make a difference. We conduct journalism with empathy and an open mind, and without fear or favor. We’re looking for a reporter who is passionate about doing the same.
The reporter will join the investigative team to tell stories that make a difference. In recent months we’ve published stories about a rural sheriff who abandoned his post for retirement in Oregon while staying on his county’s payroll; of hours-long waits for first responders; of deaths in local jails; and of multiple unarmed black men who were shot and killed by local police.
The reporter will have a demonstrated commitment to fairness and accuracy, in fact and in tone, and a strong grounding in journalism ethics. An understanding of the California Public Records Act and FOIA, and how to best use them, is essential. We are looking for a reporter with deep research skills who can develop strong human sources.
Like all McClatchy journalists, this reporter must have demonstrated the desire and skills to build audience loyalty, engagement and growth around compelling public service journalism.
The position is based in The Sacramento Bee newsroom and reports to the West Region Investigative Editor. This reporter will at times work with a broader team that includes our sister publications in California: The Modesto Bee, the Merced Sun-Star, The Fresno Bee, and The Tribune in San Luis Obispo.
In our newsrooms, the reader comes first, last and always. Serving readers in a crowded media marketplace means becoming the best and most relevant source of journalism that matters to them – and ensuring that our work reaches them, wherever they are. This will require a keen understanding of what’s important to local readers, developed through a familiarity with the region as well as a thorough understanding of the metrics that drive audience growth.
With your cover letter, please submit three links to previous accountability or investigative journalism that you’ve produced.
Minimum requirements:
- 3-5 years of experience in accountability reporting.
- Strong writing and reporting skills and excellent news judgment
- Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism
- Demonstrated ability to use social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to reach audiences, and a fluency in the science of readership and engagement
- A demonstrated ability to tell stories using a variety of tools and platforms, including video
- Strong interpersonal skills, including empathy and the ability to take and give constructive criticism. The new workflows require constant conversations between reporters and editors and between reporters and their audience as a story evolves.
- Demonstrated ability to work comfortably in a job that will be fast-paced, data-driven, shaped constantly by feedback and experimentation, and always evolving