Accountability Reporter

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is looking for an ambitious reporter to serve our readers with high-interest accountability journalism that aims to explain why things happen, what went wrong, who is responsible and what should be done about it.

At the highest level, the reporter will strive to reveal what others want to hide and to hold powerful people, agencies and businesses in account for what they do or, in some cases, don’t do, and fact-checking what they say.

This beat has no bounds. It is about questioning government decisions on spending public money, protecting public safety and improving the quality of life for all citizens equally. It is about the everyday problems that can easily rile up people in this fast-growing city, from code enforcement to commuter headaches to court cases.

We value strong enterprise journalism and expect that you do, too. But you should be just as eager to provide our readers with daily stories that answer their questions, data-driven explainers and quick-turn reporting that brings transparency or clarity to complex issues. The reporter must be nimble enough to dive in when we’re dealing with breaking news, scandals or other big stories of the day, but also have the curiosity and instinct to recognize when there’s a deeper story less conspicuous among the daily headlines.

This role involves competitive, real-time watchdog reporting to inform our audiences with valuable information they can’t get elsewhere. You should be passionate about being the journalist who asks the tough “why” questions on behalf of our readers, and provide the knowledge and insights to help them understand and react. You should be relentless in your pursuit of information, whether it’s by digging into a spreadsheet, seeking public documents or knocking on doors. You should be persistent with a sense of urgency.

Fort Worth is an amazing city, where you can watch cattle drives with the tourists at the historic Stockyards or enjoy world-class theater, art museums and dining. We may be one of the largest cities in the nation, but you’ll find the people here are remarkably friendly and you can still get a beer for about $3. And then there’s the barbecue. Don’t even get us started on the barbecue.

In considering you for this position, we’ll look for a demonstrated commitment to fairness and accuracy, in fact and in tone, and a strong grounding in journalism ethics. And like all journalists at the Star-Telegram, the accountability reporter must have demonstrated the desire and skills to build audience loyalty, engagement and growth around compelling public service and accountability journalism.

For us, the reader comes first, last and always. Serving readers in a crowded media marketplace means becoming the best and most relevant source of journalism that matters to them — and ensuring that our work reaches them, wherever they are. This will require a keen understanding of what’s important to local readers, developed through reporting on and familiarity with the region; through the extensive use of reader analytics such as social media referrals and time spent on a story; through knowledge about how and what people search for online; through a constant awareness of what people are sharing and talking about on social media.

It will require not just the ability to build sources and ferret out facts, but also a talent for framing, writing, shooting, producing and promoting a story via search and social media to ensure that it reaches and resonates with our readers. It will require a demonstrated commitment to change -- to constantly adapting to the ever-evolving ways in which readers seek out and interact with journalism. And it will require enthusiastic participation in ongoing conversations about what’s working and what’s not -- and an equally enthusiastic commitment to adapting accordingly.

What you'll bring:

Strong writing and reporting skills and excellent news judgment
Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism
Fluency in the science of readership and engagement, including an understanding of metrics/analytics programs such as Parsely and Google Trends and development of story ideas derived from data.
Understanding of SEO and other optimization opportunities and a demonstrated ability to learn new skills in social and digital.
Strong interpersonal skills, including empathy and the ability to take and give constructive criticism. Workflows require constant conversations between reporters and editors and between reporters and their audience as a story evolves.
Understanding of open records law and ability to file, manage and oversee requests pertinent to beat work.
Ability to engage with readers and develop sources on social media platforms including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).
Ability to develop breadth and variety of sources.
Ability to understand audience lenses and correctly identify the audience for selected stories.
Ability to work on both daily and enterprise stories concurrently, delivering both with consistency.
Ability to meet deadlines.
Ability to capture video and edit it (using phone).
Ability to work collaboratively on projects ranging from podcasts to video to enterprise stories. We will work comfortably in a job that will be fast-paced, data-driven, shaped constantly by feedback and experimentation and always evolving
Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field preferred
Fluency in Spanish and English preferred
Two years of experience in a professional digital-first news organization preferred

What we’ll bring:

As a journalist at McClatchy, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. McClatchy strives to be an employer of choice, and our benefits package is made with this goal in mind. With a focus on well-being and daily life, our package options includes healthcare coverage for employees and their families, financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses, multiple no-cost wellness resources and even coverage for four-legged friends. Our overall benefits package also includes a 401(k) with employer match, competitive paid time off and corporate holidays, and a variety of mental health benefits.

To apply: Please submit a cover letter, resume and 6-8 examples of your work that show the breadth and depth of your reporting and writing skills.