Food Reporter

Hearst • Houston, TX

13d

About The Position

The Houston Chronicle is seeking a Food Reporter to cover Houston’s vibrant and diverse culinary scene through fresh, innovative journalism. The reporter will follow restaurant trends, chefs, and the people shaping Houston’s food culture, and will break news about restaurant openings and closings, chef moves, ownership changes, and other industry developments.

The role combines authoritative reporting with creative storytelling and audience-focused coverage across platforms, particularly TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other social channels. The reporter will produce social videos and recurring video series alongside in-depth stories, helping the Chronicle engage food lovers across Houston.

Requirements

• At least three years of reporting experience, including at least one year covering food, restaurants, culture, business, or a related beat.
• Strong understanding of Houston’s restaurant scene, chefs, neighborhoods, and culinary culture.
• Proven ability to break news quickly, accurately, and ethically.
• Strong knowledge of restaurant and food trends and the ability to identify stories early.
• Experience creating social video for platforms such as TikTok and Instagram.
• Comfort and capability on camera, including developing engaging video series, interviews, explainers, and field reports.
• Ability to balance breaking news with compelling feature reporting.

Nice To Haves

• A creative mindset and eagerness to experiment with formats, visuals, and storytelling approaches.

Responsibilities

• Report Houston food news, including restaurant openings and closures, chef moves, ownership changes, major hires, expansions, and insider developments.
• Build strong sources among chefs, restaurateurs, hospitality workers, industry leaders, and food enthusiasts.
• Cover restaurant trends, chef profiles, emerging cuisines, and human-centered stories behind the meals, with attention to Houston’s diverse communities.
• Use social listening, search trends, audience tools, and community engagement to identify food conversations and develop relevant coverage.
• Develop recurring social video series and franchises for TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube, and other platforms.
• Produce quick reactions, interviews, explainers, behind-the-scenes videos, and other social-first storytelling.
• Balance breaking news with longer features, food guides, trend stories, and experimental digital formats.
• Collaborate with food editors, visuals, audience strategists, and other newsroom teams to bring stories to life and extend their reach.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: No Education Listed