State Government & Politics Reporter

Advance Media•Portland, OR

1d•$60,000 - $85,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Oregonian/OregonLive is hiring a State Government & Politics Reporter for its newsroom in Portland, Oregon. The reporter will cover Oregon state government and politics, breaking daily news on a competitive statewide beat and producing frequent weekend takeouts on political news, personalities, government successes and failures. Working with another state politics reporter and colleagues across other beats, the reporter will help shape statewide political coverage using a range of storytelling techniques and platforms. Coverage will include elections, the Legislature, state agencies and other influential figures, with attention to how policy and spending decisions affect Oregonians. The reporter will develop deep and diverse sources, use public records to advance transparency and accountability, analyze government data and pursue enterprise stories about powerful interests and opportunities for government to serve people with less political power. The role also calls for consistently elevating the voices of people of color and people navigating poverty or disability, among others often underrepresented in news coverage. The reporter will work with a politics editor and may represent The Oregonian/OregonLive in limited public settings, including political debates and potentially national news programs. This is a hybrid position based in the Portland metro area. Reliable transportation is required for meeting sources and covering events at the Oregon Capitol in Salem. The annual salary range is $60,000–$85,000. Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume and three to five examples of their reporting and writing.

Requirements

At least five years of journalism experience, with a record of clear, engaging writing, fresh story framing and diverse sourcing.
Bachelor’s degree in journalism or communications, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Excellent time-management skills and ability to work under tight deadlines when needed.
Ability to analyze data sets to identify significant stories about state programs, policies, hiring, spending and government accountability.
Ability and inclination to insist on compliance with public records and public meeting laws.
Skill using social media and digital platforms to drive traffic and engage readers.
Comfort taking photos, video and audio on assignment as needed.
Reliable transportation to meet sources and cover events at the Oregon Capitol in Salem.

Nice To Haves

Advanced data analysis skills.
Experience with audience best practices, or willingness to learn.
Fluency in another language widely spoken in Oregon.

Responsibilities

Become an authority on state government, including state budgets, legislative processes and available government and political data sources such as campaign finance and lobbying databases.
Break daily news on a competitive statewide politics and government beat and prepare frequent weekend takeouts.
Collaborate with another state government reporter and reporters on other beats to uncover news and report on ongoing issues.
Cover elections, the Legislature, state agencies and other powerbrokers, emphasizing the real-world effects of policy and spending choices on Oregonians.
Use public records requests and pursue compliance with public records and public meeting laws to promote transparency and hold powerful officials accountable.
Analyze data to identify stories about the effectiveness of state programs and policies, state hiring and spending, and other government accountability measures.
Develop deep and diverse sources and elevate voices that are often underrepresented in news coverage.
Use social media, digital platforms and varied storytelling techniques to engage readers and drive traffic.
Represent The Oregonian/OregonLive in limited situations, including political debates and possibly national news programs as an expert on Oregon politics and government.
Adapt collaboratively and flexibly when high-priority news requires the organization to pivot.