Political Correspondent, California
About The Position
This Political Correspondent will be the lead political correspondent and on-platform messenger for Courier Newsroom in California. You will produce sharp, accessible political journalism that’s delivered in multiple formats such as on-camera videos and stories optimized for email. You’ll launch, own, and grow an audience-focused newsletter product that builds trust and engagement over time. You will: Break and explain local and state political news Develop and distribute ongoing media content tailored to a specific audience Build a personal, trusted presence across social platforms and in inboxes Use audience insights, data, and experimentation to refine your content and reporting approach This is a highly entrepreneurial role for someone excited to reach new audiences underserved by legacy media and help strengthen civic engagement in California.
Requirements
- 5+ years of political reporting or political content creation.
- Deep understanding of California's political landscape and community dynamics.
- Demonstrated track record of building an audience through content or product.
- Strong writing/reporting skills with an ability to translate complex politics into accessible, values-rooted storytelling with minimal editing oversight.
- Experience creating content for social platforms (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube).
- Comfort on camera and willingness to appear in videos or host short-form segments.
- Familiarity with tools such as Canva, Emplifi, Descript; willingness to learn new tools.
- Comfort experimenting with tone, formats, and approaches to meet audience needs.
- Ability to work independently in a startup-like, fast-paced environment.
Responsibilities
- Report, write, and produce clear, compelling political journalism rooted in local communities.
- Break news and deliver fast-turnaround coverage on political developments, legislation, elections, and policy impacts.
- Build and maintain a strong network of on-the-ground sources: lawmakers, organizers, community leaders, campaign staff, and advocates.
- Provide additional state-level political coverage for the newsroom as needed.
- Manage a weekly newsletter, including experimenting with new ways to increase engagement and your subscribers list.
- Curate and package political reporting in an accessible, values-aligned format tailored to your target audience.
- Experiment with new storytelling formats (videos, explainers, carousels, text posts, etc.) to expand reach.
- Use analytics, platform insights, audience feedback, and A/B-style testing to refine your storytelling and product strategy.
- Create short-form video content, including on-camera explainers, TikTok/Instagram videos, or voice-overs (comfort producing presenter-led videos required)
- Collaborate with social media marketer to translate reporting into social-ready content (carousels, graphics, and videos) that captures attention in under five seconds.
- Build and grow a personal social presence that positions you as a trusted, relatable political communicator in California.
- Work closely with social, political editorial, newsletter, and marketing teams to ensure consistent messaging and high-quality content.
- Share learnings and collaborate with other correspondents and editors across the Courier network.
- Contribute to growth and monetization strategies for state-level media products.
Benefits
- Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO), 11 paid holidays a year
- An Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Full suite of health benefits
- $500 home office reimbursement
- 401k
- Flexible working arrangements
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
51-100 employees
