What are the responsibilities and job description for the Breaking News Reporter position at McClatchy?
As a breaking news reporter, you’ll jump on developing stories in real time—publishing initial reports within minutes and quickly expanding coverage through calls, document checks and on-the-ground reporting. You’ll focus on public safety and courts, tracking police activity, high-profile cases and major incidents, often reporting live with photos and video. Using social platforms and audience data, you’ll help shape the day’s conversation and keep readers engaged, while balancing fast-turn enterprise work, source development and public-records reporting. Your success will show in a steady flow of accurate, relevant stories—original reporting, recaps and multiformat updates—produced with the help of newsroom tools that boost your productivity and impact.
McClatchy Media’s employees 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-quality, deeply reported journalism.
What you’ll do:
- Report and write breaking news on crime, courts and public safety from police, sheriff, fire/EMS, beaches/waterways and emergency management sources
- Go beyond police reports to find original stories—digging into court dockets, 911 calls, trends, social media, public meetings and community tips
- Deliver timely, accurate information in formats that best serve our audience, adapting as newsroom needs shift
- Develop and pitch story ideas that drive engagement and align with newsroom priorities
- Use company tools and workflows to meet production and audience goals
- Build and maintain a strong source network to deliver timely, impactful reporting
- Apply strong news judgment, urgency and an understanding of SEO and audience engagement strategies
- Know open records laws and manage requests for your coverage areas
- Respond to breaking news and shifting priorities as needed
What you’ll bring:
- Solid grounding in journalism ethics and a commitment to accuracy
- Ability to shoot video and take photos
- Comfort with digital tools, analytics, SEO and audience engagement tactics
- Willingness to learn new tech, including AI and automation, to boost efficiency and reporting quality
- Strong prioritization skills and the ability to meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced, data-driven environment
- Excellent communication, teamwork and relationship-building skills
- Technical proficiency with digital editing tools, web search and databases
- Flexibility to work nights and weekends as news demands
- Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field preferred, plus at least one year of reporting experience (or equivalent skills and knowledge)
If you thrive in a fast-paced, audience-focused environment and love breaking stories that matter, we want to hear from you.
To apply, please submit a persuasive cover letter, resume, 3-5 samples of your best work and references.