What are the responsibilities and job description for the Accountability Editor/Reporter position at McClatchy?
The Idaho Statesman seeks an accountability editor/reporter to join its award-winning newsroom in Boise, one of the fastest-growing metro areas in America.
Our accountability editor/reporter will spend about 80% of their time managing three to five reporters with a focus on investigative and accountability journalism and the other 20% working on their own reporting projects.
Join the newsroom that won a Knight Award for Public Service for reporting that led to a $2 billion state investment in public schools; produced some of the nation’s best coverage of the University of Idaho quadruple homicides; won national awards for its coverage of Idaho laws’ impact on transgender residents; and investigated lapses in oversight of the way foreign sheepherders are treated. At the Idaho Statesman, we put a premium on breaking stories first as well as investing in hard-nosed accountability journalism that our audience can’t get anywhere else.
Our journalism focuses on our local communities, and in that role we have the ability to spotlight problems, highlight solutions and make a difference — all the reasons you got into journalism. And we are part of McClatchy Media, a digitally driven company focused on innovation, with newsrooms in 30 communities in the United States.
Our newsroom is located in a vibrant capital that lands on many best-of lists for its quality of life. Our community features a 27,000-student state university, unique restaurants, an outdoor recreation culture and a lively arts scene.
In our accountability editor/reporter, we’re seeking a leader with a passion for holding the powerful accountable and for helping other reporters grow. The successful candidate will have a history of producing impactful journalism, whether as a reporter or editor, and a vision for how to help the Idaho Statesman continue to build its reputation as an essential news source in our market. This position also will manage our coverage of state politics, the congressional delegation and the Legislature, so some experience in politics coverage is preferred.
In this role, you will need to:
- Focus on stories that build readership.
- Help our staff produce impactful investigative and important daily stories.
- Contribute to newsroom leadership efforts.
- Assist reporters in the pursuit of public records.
- Demonstrate speed, competitiveness and SEO savvy.
- Work well in a team environment.
- Live within 35 miles of Boise City Hall.
McClatchy Media’s journalists are expected to take advantage of opportunities to ethically harness and leverage artificial intelligence and other automation to enhance and elevate their work and to find efficiencies that free them to focus on source-building and high-quality, deeply reported journalism.
What you’ll bring: The successful candidate should meet many, though not necessarily all, of the following requirements:
- College degree or equivalent work experience.
- Five years or more of full-time reporting/editing experience (or equivalent).
- Must have reliable transportation. Must have a valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance (at least minimum insurance required by Idaho law).
- Strong writing skills, excellent news judgment and a demonstrated ability to “see the story” that is going to matter to readers.
- Commitment to ethics.
- Ability to build source networks and produce a steady flow of story ideas.
- Ability to work collaboratively.
- The motivation to aggressively tackle stories.
- Comfort with a job that will be demanding, fast-paced and constantly evolving.
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 health, well-being, wealth and daily life, our package options include health care 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. With an excellent support team and with focus on your well-being as a top corporate strategy, McClatchy provides benefits to support you and your family in achieving your health and wellness goals. For more information on McClatchy's benefit plan, please visit McClatchyLivewell.com.
To apply, include a cover letter, your resume and four to six examples of your best work.
About McClatchy Media
The McClatchy Media Co. features a portfolio of vibrant and trusted news, lifestyle, entertainment brands and a robust retail distribution network. Our iconic local news brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star and The Sacramento Bee, have collectively earned 57 Pulitzer prizes and are complemented by popular lifestyle and entertainment brands 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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