White House Correspondent

The McClatchy Washington Bureau is looking for an aggressive, news-breaking journalist to be White House Correspondent, serving our 30 news organizations nationwide. The requirements of this job are straightforward: break news on the administration, deliver original reporting and keep accountability at the heart of the beat.

The ideal candidate will be decisive, fast acting and excel at building source networks. She or he will work as part of a team and focus on domestic policy, politics and elections. Breaking stories, quick-hit enterprise and source-driven exclusives are the priority. Visual and audio storytelling are part of the job, and the ability to record short video clips and experience in front of the camera and behind the microphone are all pluses.

This will be a key position in our coverage of the elections and the correspondent is expected to continuously produce smart, sharp story ideas that put us ahead on coverage and do not follow the pack. The correspondent must always watch for stories that hold elected leaders accountable for the decisions and statements they make.

The correspondent must be able to cover national issues with an eye toward how they are relevant to McClatchy’s local readers from coast to coast. The Washington bureau is a collaborative environment and the White House team is expected to work closely with colleagues from the Miami Herald, Kansas City Star, Sacramento Bee, the Charlotte Observer and other McClatchy newsrooms.

Specific responsibilities:

• Breaking news and enterprise on White House and politics coverage important to McClatchy’s audience. 
• Driving coverage with ideas that put McClatchy ahead of the competition. The majority of the coverage should come from the reporter's notebook. 
• Maintaining an open, frequent and collaborative line of communication with reporters in the Washington Bureau and other McClatchy newsrooms. 
• Writing with a digital-first mentality.

Requirements:

• 5 years of reporting experience in a news organization
• A track record of breaking news and delivering exclusives
• Demonstrated skill at building source networks
• An understanding of audience metrics and social media trends, and the ability to respond to them
• Fresh writing style, with an engaging, conversational voice
• Ability to work with and process data
• Solid understanding of the current political/economic/social themes driving coverage and a record of delivering new and original approaches to these coverage areas
• Collaborative approach that prioritizes getting the best story for our audience
• Must have reliable transportation. Must have valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance required (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works).