Washington State Government Reporter

The media industry in the U.S. is shrinking, leaving fewer options for readers to digest the decisions made by their state and local government officials. The Center Square, the state-focused reporting division of the non-partisan, non-profit Franklin News Foundation, seeks to fill this journalistic void.

The Center Square covers government from a taxpayers’ perspective, not from government’s perspective. We hold government officials accountable for their actions and decisions, and inform our readers how those decisions affect them.

The Center Square is staffed by editors and reporters with extensive professional journalism experience. We engage readers with essential news, data and analysis – delivered with velocity, frequency and consistency.

About the Role

The Center Square is seeking a highly motivated, experienced reporter to lead our taxpayer-focused coverage of state government in Washington state.

The ideal candidate is a passionate, ethical journalist and hands-on professional who will participate in the team’s planning processes, ensuring its short- and long-term execution, and lead our efforts to report on, curate and share state government's most relevant daily and enterprise news content across multiple platforms.

The preferred location for this position is in the Olympia-Seattle area. However, The Center Square will consider candidates based elsewhere in Washington who can occasionally travel to Olympia.

Responsibilities

Report on state government activity, monitor legislative and policy developments that affect the region, and use public records and databases to ferret out waste, fraud and abuse

Work with Washington state team to build a dynamic daily news report that would be of interest to newspapers and other media outlets in the state.
Promote The Center Square stories to local and regional media partners in the states.

Cultivate trusted sources to provide leads on potential stories, including those inside and outside government, think tanks, academia, and the business community.

Monitor the state media landscape to identify popular topics and potential media partners

Qualifications:

2-3 years of journalism experience, including reporting in print and web

Bachelor’s degree or higher

Passionate about The Center Square’s mission

Background in journalism or journalistic functions

Strong written, investigative, editing and verbal communication skills

Familiarity with government policy issues

Ability to uncover original stories and break them

Entrepreneurial approach and ability to work independently

Excellent, proactive communicator

Demonstrated understanding of planning and budgeting processes

Ability to travel on an as-needed basis, including regionally when called upon

Strong commitment to the principles of personal responsibility and free enterprise

Application Process

To apply, please send a cover letter, resume and writing samples to Dan McCaleb, executive editor, via email: jobs@franklinnews.org.

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.