California Legislature & Politics Reporter

The Sacramento Bee seeks a competitive journalist to break news and develop exclusive reporting on one of our marquee beats: the California Legislature and state politics.

Every challenge confronting California today comes through the Legislature: housing, homelessness, climate change, inequality, criminal justice and more. We’re looking for a reporter with a fresh, authoritative voice who will be a one-stop shop for readers who crave journalism that reveals what’s happening inside the corridors of power, explains its impact on everyday people and holds elected officials accountable for their decisions. 

This journalist will be part of The Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Bureau, which aggressively covers the policies and politics of the largest state in the nation and the fourth-largest economy in the world. The successful candidate will be one of two reporters watchdogging the Legislature and working alongside others in the Capitol Bureau and other McClatchy California newsrooms not only demystifying the legislative process but also tracking how lobbyist activities and the flow of money into political campaigns impacts which bills become law.

Besides mixing daily coverage with longer enterprise stories, the reporter will share authorship of our Capitol A.M. Alert daily newsletter, the Capitol Bureau's direct link to thousands of subscribers who want to start their day with important updates from the statehouse and see our coverage answer their questions about the happenings inside the building and their impact on Californians.

This journalist will be based in Sacramento, a vibrant, culturally diverse city with a welcoming climate and a renowned recreational and dining scene.

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 demonstrate the desire and skills to build audience loyalty, engagement and growth around compelling public service journalism and be open to tapping artificial intelligence to augment shoe-leather reporting and data gathering.

Responsibilities:

• Report breaking news from the world of politics and government  in the state’s capital city and the Capitol.
• Share the responsibility for crafting the A.M. Capitol Alert newsletter, which includes news and aggregation and links to other coverage. Develop enterprise stories off state government and political news.

What You’Ll Bring

• Strong writing and reporting skills and excellent news judgment.
• Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism.
• The ability to break news in a competitive media market, develop strong sources and write quickly on deadline.
• Proficiency in using AI tools is highly desired. McClatchy Media’s journalists are expected to take advantage of opportunities to harness and leverage artificial intelligence and other automation to enhance and elevate their work, and to find efficiencies that free them to focus on high-priority tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to use social media platforms to reach and engage with audiences
• 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.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including empathy and the ability to take and give constructive criticism. Our 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 and shaped constantly by feedback and experimentation.

Skills And Qualifications

• Experience: At least 5 years reporting experience.
• Education: College degree or equivalent work experience.

The anticipated base pay range for this position is between $33.33 and $43.58 per hour based on 37.5 hours per week. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience and relevant education.

To apply, please include a cover letter, your resume and any relevant examples of your 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 include 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 benefits 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 the McClatchy Media Company

The McClatchy Media Company features a portfolio of vibrant and trusted news, lifestyle and entertainment brands, plus a robust retail distribution network. Our iconic local news publications such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star and The Sacramento Bee have collectively earned a total of 57 Pulitzer prizes and are complemented by popular lifestyle and entertainment titles such as Us Weekly and Woman’s World. Together, our brands reach more than 100 million unique visitors a month,The McClatchy Retail Network, our distribution and logistics arm, offers delivery to more than 56,000 retail locations weekly.

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