Legislative Reporter
The Sacramento Bee Capitol Bureau is seeking a competitive reporter to break news and develop exclusive reporting on one of our marquee beats: the California Legislature.
Every challenge confronting California today comes through the Capitol: inequality, housing, climate change, criminal justice, racism, COVID and more. Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democratic leaders in the Legislature have once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to address those challenges and more with the state pulling in back-to-back budget surpluses running in the tens of billions of dollars. We’re looking for a reporter who can deliver coverage that interprets the Capitol and holds elected officials accountable for their decisions.
This reporter will have opportunities to collaborate with experienced journalists in Sacramento, Washington, D.C., and with colleagues in other McClatchy California newsrooms.
Candidates should have experience in government reporting and a talent for explaining complex information in terms that are engaging and easy to understand. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to fairness and accuracy, in fact and in tone, and a strong grounding in journalism ethics. 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.
At The Sacramento Bee, the reader comes first. Serving readers in a crowded media marketplace means being 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 readers, developed through reporting on and familiarity with the region; through the use of audience analytics such as social media referrals and time spent on a story; and through awareness of what people are sharing and talking about on social media.
Minimum requirements:
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At least 3 years of reporting experience
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Strong writing and reporting skills and excellent news judgment
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Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism
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The ability to break news in a competitive media market
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Fluency in Spanish desirable
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Demonstrated ability to use social media platforms to reach and engage with audiences
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Fluency in the science of readership and engagement, including an understanding of how to use analytics such as page views, time on site and referral sources to help determine which stories resonate with which audiences
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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.
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Demonstrated ability to work comfortably in a job that will be fast-paced, data-driven, shaped constantly by feedback and experimentation.
- Must have valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance required (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works).