Politics and Governing Reporter

The Philadelphia Inquirer is a public benefit corporation owned by the nonprofit Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Together, we’re at the center of a critical mission to create a lasting future for ambitious, engaging, and useful local journalism. We’re doing this, in part, by deepening our connection with the communities we serve. Our integrated digital and print platforms are the Philadelphia region’s largest media network. We’re passionate about building a sustainable model for indispensable local journalism, and we take pride in finding diverse, dynamic, and talented individuals to help push our team forward.

Summary

The Politics & Governing team on the News Desk of the Philadelphia Inquirer is seeking a curious, audience-focused reporter to attract and engage new local readers.

You will cover the 2024 election in the nation’s most important swing state, as well as collaborate with other members of the team to cover the biggest stories in state and local politics. Every political trend in the nation plays out in Pennsylvania, and all eyes will be on its prized 19 electoral votes. In addition to the presidential race, a U.S. senator is up for reelection, and Democrats will be defending their one-vote majority in the state House after taking control of the chamber for the first time in 12 years.

The ideal candidate is a versatile reporter who is eager to look beyond the horse race to provide meaningful coverage that informs voters about the issues they care about most. Your focus will be on breaking news and quick-turn stories oriented around answering our readers’ questions and building new audiences. You should be able to clearly explain what’s really happening to readers who are not political news junkies, be comfortable parsing misinformation and be able to report accurately on election denialism.

What You’ll Do

Break news that local readers care about

Cultivate sources with state and local political parties, voters and community groups

Provide Pennsylvania voters with the information they need to navigate races for president, Congress and the state legislature in a competitive swing state

Explore ways to reach readers through newsletters, live blogs, social media and other nontraditional story formats

Use audience metrics and search trends to develop stories that resonate with new readers

Collaborate with other members of the Politics & Governing team on breaking news and quick-turn enterprise

Who We’re Looking For

A minimum of two years of previous reporting experience

Experience developing quick-turn stories that engage our target audiences

Ability to accurately report on deadline and in the field

Excited to continually refine a beat to serve audience needs

Passion for telling stories for, not about, the diverse communities that make up the Philly region

Willingness to experiment with nontraditional story forms

Familiarity with the power structures in Philadelphia and Southeastern Pennsylvania are a plus

Interest in campaign finance reports and public records are a plus

Intro data skills are a plus