Politics & Campaign Reporter

Newsweek has reshaped and renewed itself multiple times in its 90-year history, but our values have never changed. Our stories provide insight into the world around us, fresh perspectives on the most important events of our times. We publish factual, fair and honest journalism; we separate opinion from reporting; we openly acknowledge mistakes and shortcomings. In this time of unprecedented disruption, I believe in our mission more strongly than ever.

But some things have changed—in both the political culture and the media. There's less shared ground; more partisanship, polarization, suspicion. Those who dissent on either side are caricatured or canceled.

At Newsweek, because we seek engagement, not agreement, we cover stories from multiple points of view. We aim to challenge unexamined assumptions and the received wisdom—thoughtfully, factually and respectfully. For readers now, we believe this commitment makes Newsweek indispensable.

We appreciate your interest and look forward to hearing from you.

As the 2024 election approaches, America’s interest in politics is reaching a fever pitch. Newsweek is seeking a reporter to join their politics team, keeping watch over key issues, Congress and the campaign trail.

This expanded position is being created to better cover back-and-forth wrangling between lawmakers on the Hill, keep an eye on candidates jumping into the 2024 race and help readers understand the broader issues at stake.

Ideal candidates understand the importance of both speed and unique angles in a hyper-competitive journalistic landscape. They’ll be able to successfully balance the need to write multiple brief stories daily while chipping away at exclusive or more detailed pieces that connect dots and help readers understand key issues.

The best candidates will be self-starters who can cultivate sources and experts to help them be first (or best) in breaking a story.

You’ll be responsible for:

Building up sources, alerts and experts to quickly publish spot stories on legislative battles or remarks from key newsmakers. This position will publish stories every day.
Understanding audience, selecting stories on issues that will have broad reach and impact.
Balancing the need for fast turns with unique features. Speed is important, but we understand that finding unique angles and covering them with quality takes time. Being able to balance the two and shift between modes is key to success in this role.

Requirements:

Previous experience in a fast-paced digital news environment. Previous experience covering U.S. politics is strongly preferred.
Multitasking reporting and writing speed. While we measure impact and readership more than activity, this beat will deliver multiple stories a day while chipping away at broader enterprise work.
The ability to be a self starter, coming up with unique story angles to boost audience and build Newsweek’s credibility and authority.
Clean, accurate writing. Editors will be there to backstop your work, but ensuring accuracy starts with you – doubly important when dealing with legal affairs.
Familiarity with real-time readership resources like Chartbeat, Parse.lyGoogle Trends or Google Analytics is a plus.
A bachelor’s degree or higher in journalism, communications or a related field.

Salary range: $50,000 - $70,000