Political Correspondent

At COURIER Newsroom, we empower individuals and communities through local reporting that helps people understand and affect the issues impacting their lives. We believe that by investing in the work of local journalists across the country we can positively impact civic participation and build a healthier democracy from the ground up. Through original reporting and human-focused storytelling, we highlight the issues that shape our lives while calling attention to the impacts of policy-making and political action at the local level. We are a rapidly growing team with new ideas on how to change the landscape of this world. Our team is led by women and composed of people that strive to make our workplace an environment where every individual feels like they belong. Our team is composed of smart individuals with multiple intersections of diversity.

COURIER Newsroom offers the following:

Unlimited PTO, 11 paid holidays a year
Full suite of health benefits
Fully remote team
Flexible working arrangements
Prioritization of our people over outcomes, we are a team that wants humans to thrive in this unstable climate.

The Dogwood Political Correspondent is responsible for leading our coverage of Virginia politics, and to connect important policy decisions to Virginians’ day-to-day lives in a relatable, social-first manner. This reporter will be a key leader in further developing our Dogwood newsroom and turning it into a well-known, respected outlet both for Virginia voters themselves and the broader media landscape, with a goal of establishing ourselves as a significant, influential outlet in the commonwealth.

This reporter will also develop a personal brand as a go-to voice for Virginia political news, and work to become a trusted, ever-present figure among our audience and the broader journalism world. In addition, this role requires developing and maintaining relationships with key political figures in the commonwealth.

The Dogwood Political Correspondent will report to the National Political Editor, and may oversee freelancers at the local level or possibly one other full-time staffer.

This is a remote position within the commonwealth, but the strong preference is for someone located in Richmond.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Develop a deep understanding of the mission and core audience for the state and best practices for communicating with that audience.
Regularly brainstorm and pitch story ideas that align with our key issue beats.
Execute a weekly budget for political coverage content.
Cover the Virginia General Assembly while in session, and cover the major campaigns in upcoming election years.
Develop 3-5 original reporting content packages a month that connect the dots with policy and real-world impact through human-centered, localized stories.
Break a significant piece of news at least once a quarter.
Work collaboratively with the Community Editor, Social Media Manager, and other staff in your state to ensure state teams have cohesive content production and targeted strategic audience development/engagement.
Meet all deadlines for our core beats with high-quality, strategic work.
Meet weekly goals for content metrics by delivering high-quality content, leveraging an always-developing personal network, and collaborating with state content organizers to amplify content pieces.
Develop strategies in coordination with the National Political Editor and Content Organizing Team on how to further improve our content’s reach.
Work to build a personal brand through an active Twitter and/or TikTok presence.
Build connections with political and community leaders/staff in the state.
Utilize resources and messaging guidance provided by senior political and partnership leadership.
Ensure all political coverage graphics and videos are branded with consistency and match community/local news content as well.

The ideal candidate will

Have 5+ years’ experience in political reporting/content creation or political communications
Want to be a part of a new media model that meets people where they are– most often on social platforms– and looking to leverage their talents to protect democracy through left-leaning, factual, relevant information rooted in shared values and community well-being
Have a desire to grow (or already have) an audience as a political reporter and translate your work into social-first content
Have experience using Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other social platforms.
Be able to produce compelling social media posts that delivers key information to our audience in five seconds or less
Be comfortable in front of a camera
Have experience using Canva or Photoshop
Have experience editing videos
Have a strong grasp of AP Style
Have excellent written and verbal communication skills with a strong sense of voice and tone.
Have experience with or a willingness to learn WordPress
Have experience with or a willingness to learn Sprout and/or Creator Studio for social media publishing
Be able to pivot/switch direction as priorities and projects change.
Be comfortable in a startup environment
Demonstrate an eagerness to collaborate as part of a cross-functional state team and COURIER network Civic Impact team

This is a fully remote position that will require some weekend work/flexible scheduling, and primarily operates on east coast time. In addition to a base salary, Courier Newsroom offers a competitive benefits package, including a full suite of healthcare benefits, paid time off, and a flexible working arrangement.