What are the responsibilities and job description for the Defense Reporter position at POLITICO?
Job Description
POLITICO is seeking an enterprising and experienced reporter to cover the politics and policies of defense. This role will focus particularly on the inner workings of the Pentagon and the way defense policy is shaping Capitol Hill.
Who You Are
We’re looking for a deeply sourced journalist eager to collaborate with colleagues on the defense team to deliver agenda-setting scoops and impactful stories on everything from the insider decisions coming from defense-focused congressional committees to consequential decisions within the Defense Department.
This reporter will have ample opportunity to write stories that appear across all of POLITICO’s platforms — from newsy dispatches for subscribers, to enterprise stories for the homepage, to the Morning Defense newsletter — in the U.S. and Europe.
What You’ll Need
We value our people. Click here for more on what we offer and what it’s like to work for POLITICO.
Let’s keep in touch. You can view our list of open positions here . We hope to see your application soon!
About Us.
POLITICO illuminates the forces shaping global power. Since 2007, we have delivered intelligence that anticipates tomorrow's headlines, not reports on yesterday's news. As politics has increasingly become the defining force of our era, our work has never been more vital.
Cabinet secretaries and Ministers start their mornings with our analysis. CEOs shape strategy around our reporting. Advocacy leaders rely on our insights to move policy. We deliver the straightforward facts and clear-eyed analysis they need to navigate the most complex political landscape of our lifetimes.
Our 1,100 publishing professionals across the world's key democratic capitals—Washington, Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Sacramento, and New York—form the world's premier politics and policy newsroom. We tell the story of how power really works by explaining who wields it and how they plan to exercise it, connecting dots others miss and delivering scoops from sources others don't even know exist.
Innovation has always been a core tenet of our story. At launch, we bet that depth would trump scale, that talent would trump traffic, and that politics would become central to modern life. In 2011, we made another bet and launched POLITICO Pro to help decision-makers understand the business of government, transforming both how they shape government action and the business of journalism itself.
These bets have made POLITICO the most successful digital news startup of its generation and the indispensable resource for leaders who shape the future. Today, we are a rarity in media: a growing, profitable, and sustainable news organization.
POLITICO is a subsidiary of Axel Springer SE, a family-owned transatlantic media company headquartered in Berlin and New York. Axel Springer is dedicated to shaping the future of journalism in the free world, believing that a free and informed society is essential to democracy. The company’s guiding principles - first articulated as The Essentials by founder Axel Springer in the aftermath of World War II - remain a cornerstone of the company’s foundation today. Learn more about Axel Springer.
Posting Date
2026-03-13
Title
Defense Reporter
POLITICO is seeking an enterprising and experienced reporter to cover the politics and policies of defense. This role will focus particularly on the inner workings of the Pentagon and the way defense policy is shaping Capitol Hill.
Who You Are
We’re looking for a deeply sourced journalist eager to collaborate with colleagues on the defense team to deliver agenda-setting scoops and impactful stories on everything from the insider decisions coming from defense-focused congressional committees to consequential decisions within the Defense Department.
This reporter will have ample opportunity to write stories that appear across all of POLITICO’s platforms — from newsy dispatches for subscribers, to enterprise stories for the homepage, to the Morning Defense newsletter — in the U.S. and Europe.
What You’ll Need
- A strong grasp of defense policy, including how the Pentagon and Hill function.
- At least five years of experience covering issues or industries key to defense policy
- Strong writing skills and and an eye for the personalities and power dynamics on the beat
- The ability to balance agenda-setting enterprise stories with deeper specialization for subscribers
- A track record of breaking news and delivering sharp, engaging stories on deadline
- A desire to collaborate with colleagues across the newsroom and in Europe
- Interest in helping shape and contribute to the Morning Defense newsletter on a regular basis
We value our people. Click here for more on what we offer and what it’s like to work for POLITICO.
Let’s keep in touch. You can view our list of open positions here . We hope to see your application soon!
About Us.
POLITICO illuminates the forces shaping global power. Since 2007, we have delivered intelligence that anticipates tomorrow's headlines, not reports on yesterday's news. As politics has increasingly become the defining force of our era, our work has never been more vital.
Cabinet secretaries and Ministers start their mornings with our analysis. CEOs shape strategy around our reporting. Advocacy leaders rely on our insights to move policy. We deliver the straightforward facts and clear-eyed analysis they need to navigate the most complex political landscape of our lifetimes.
Our 1,100 publishing professionals across the world's key democratic capitals—Washington, Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Sacramento, and New York—form the world's premier politics and policy newsroom. We tell the story of how power really works by explaining who wields it and how they plan to exercise it, connecting dots others miss and delivering scoops from sources others don't even know exist.
Innovation has always been a core tenet of our story. At launch, we bet that depth would trump scale, that talent would trump traffic, and that politics would become central to modern life. In 2011, we made another bet and launched POLITICO Pro to help decision-makers understand the business of government, transforming both how they shape government action and the business of journalism itself.
These bets have made POLITICO the most successful digital news startup of its generation and the indispensable resource for leaders who shape the future. Today, we are a rarity in media: a growing, profitable, and sustainable news organization.
POLITICO is a subsidiary of Axel Springer SE, a family-owned transatlantic media company headquartered in Berlin and New York. Axel Springer is dedicated to shaping the future of journalism in the free world, believing that a free and informed society is essential to democracy. The company’s guiding principles - first articulated as The Essentials by founder Axel Springer in the aftermath of World War II - remain a cornerstone of the company’s foundation today. Learn more about Axel Springer.
Posting Date
2026-03-13
Title
Defense Reporter