Food Reporter

McClatchy • Sacramento, CA

269d • $33 - $43

About The Position

The Sacramento Bee is seeking a food reporter to cover one of the most popular topics in the region and one that offers boundless opportunities for storytelling. Food is woven into the fabric of life here. Food shapes our lives, from dining, and all the ways it touches on the rich demographics in the region, to agriculture, a long-standing lifeblood of what makes the valley distinctive. The food beat combines all those interests into a vibrant mix of people, trends and useful information. Restaurants, cooking, local farms, agriculture, award-winning chefs, wine and beer all play a role in how we prepare and consume food. We're looking for a journalist who can be a guide in this world, delivering breaking news about restaurant openings and closings while developing more ambitious stories about food trends and Sacramento's vibrant dining landscape. The food reporter is a key focal point for our audience, someone who can advise them as well as delight them. We will do this through stories, a weekly newsletter and community events. This reporter should be the go-to source for insights into local restaurants, breweries and wineries, producing food coverage that is first and best in the Sacramento area. The Bee's food reporter also has an important role to play in our newsroom's community engagement efforts. Connecting with readers through events and soliciting their input about local restaurants are important aspects of this role. The community of readers who are passionate about food is vast, and this reporter should be committed to understanding and serving this audience. We are looking for someone who will embrace food culture as a way of life. In California, the world's fifth-largest economy, it is very much so. The reporter on this beat should have an affinity for food, of course, but also the ability to capture news about it in a compelling way, through reporting daily stories on what's new in dining and businesses, as well as in enterprise stories that provide context for our enthusiastic food audience.

Requirements

• Minimum of three years of reporting experience, with a background in food coverage or related work
• Understanding of food and drink trends, restaurants, chefs and agriculture
• Excellent reporting, writing and sourcing skills
• A track record of developing sources and breaking exclusive stories
• Meticulous news judgment and a commitment to ethical reporting
• Fluency in digital storytelling and social media
• Understanding of readership metrics and SEO best practices
• A collaborative spirit and strong interpersonal skills
• An innovative approach to reaching and growing our audience
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving news environment
• College degree or equivalent work experience

Responsibilities

• Deliver a mix of daily and enterprise stories that resonate with a wide range of readers — from foodies to casual diners
• Consistently break news on this competitive beat
• Write The Bee's weekly food and drink newsletter and grow its readership
• Collaborate with journalists across the newsroom, including the visuals and audience teams, to develop new approaches to storytelling and community engagement
• Think about audience first and always, with a commitment to tactics that grow readership
• Work well in a team environment

Benefits

• Healthcare coverage for employees and their families
• Financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses
• Multiple no-cost wellness resources
• Coverage for four-legged friends
• 401(k) with employer match
• Competitive paid time off and corporate holidays
• Variety of mental health benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Publishing Industries
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree