McClatchy is seeking a collaborative, reader-focused reporter for our California service journalism team, whose mission is to help local readers navigate the news and celebrate what’s great about living in the Sacramento area and across Northern California. This position is based at The Sacramento Bee, an award-winning McClatchy newsroom.
This service journalist will dig into local curiosities, follow business openings and closings, write fact checks, Q&As and explainers, and report to answer reader-submitted questions. Story topics may include explaining a city’s new food compost laws, fact-checking a local official or polling readers for the best pizza in town.
They must also use digital engagement tools such as Google Trends to surface high-interest regional and state topics, and they will contribute to projects as well as major breaking news coverage.
This reporter must be ready to move with agility and take initiative in cultivating and pitching story and video ideas. As such, this reporter must have good time management skills and be organized.
Experience with audience development and engagement tactics such as headline writing, social media content creation and SEO is a must. Expertise in a particular subject area is not required, but the successful candidate will bring a deep understanding of how to identify what’s timely and most important to local readers across a wide variety of topics.
This reporter, based in the Sacramento area, is a member of a service journalism team that writes stories across McClatchy’s five newsrooms in California: The Sacramento Bee, The Modesto Bee, the Merced Sun-Star, The Fresno Bee and The Tribune in San Luis Obispo.
Here are just a few of the California team’s recent stories:
- Sacramento has one of the least affordable housing markets in US, report says. Here's why
- Do I need a California Real ID? When's the new deadline? Here's what you need to know
- Can you apply for California unemployment benefits if you were fired from your job?
- Another Sacramento Starbucks just closed. It was first in the region to unionize
The Sacramento Bee primarily serves the residents of the Sacramento region and is a leader in California Capitol politics coverage. Sacramento is a wonderful place to live and is one of the fastest-growing cities in California, with its metropolitan area stretching from the farmlands of the Central Valley to the shores of Lake Tahoe. And the San Francisco Bay Area and coastal beaches are within driving distance.
What you'll bring:
In this role, you will need to:
- Have strong writing and reporting skills, as well as excellent news judgment and journalism ethics.
- Think about our audiences first and always, with a commitment to tactics that grow readership and community engagement.
- Have a passion for the written word as well as video, audio and motion graphics.
- Demonstrate speed, competitiveness and SEO savvy through aggregating and storytelling tools.
- Work well in a team environment.
- Be adaptable and excited to experiment with new forms of storytelling.
- Data reporting experience is a plus.
- Enthusiasm for learning new skills and technologies, such as AI.
Education & experience:
- College degree or equivalent work experience.
- At least 1-3 years of reporting and writing experience.
The anticipated base pay range for this position is between $25.50 and $32. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, relevant education, department equity, training, geography and local wage and hours laws.
When applying, include a persuasive cover letter, your resume and four to six examples of your best work.
What we’ll bring:
As a journalist at McClatchy, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. McClatchy strives to be an employer of choice, and our benefits package is made with this goal in mind. With a focus on well-being and daily life, our package options includes healthcare coverage for employees and their families, financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses, multiple no-cost wellness resources and even coverage for four-legged friends. Our overall benefit package also includes a 401(k) with employer match, competitive paid time off and corporate holidays, and a variety of mental health benefits. For more information on McClatchy's benefit plan, please visit McClatchyLivewell.com. About McClatchy: Our impact is growing every day. We have 30 growing news markets. Over 65 million monthly readers. 57 Pulitzer Prizes. A strong portfolio of dynamic partnerships and smart investments. Our award-winning journalism, digital reach, and commitment to innovative growth have never been stronger. As a member of the McClatchy family, you are part of an exciting culture dedicated to creating a work/life balance and consistent opportunities for growth — a place where you have a voice and the ability to impact our future. It’s an exciting time to be here. Our company is experiencing the most transformative period in its history. We’re growing rapidly in the digital space and delivering award-winning journalism in innovative ways.
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