California Economic Mobility Reporter

The Sacramento Bee is seeking an ambitious journalist who can develop exclusive reporting on a defining issue for California: inequality and economic mobility. Even before the pandemic, millions of Californians struggled to pay their bills. Housing, rent control, homelessness, and providing workers a living wage dominate the agendas of Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state’s most powerful lawmakers. The labor unions that represent many low-income workers are an active force in the Capitol. We’re looking for a journalist to break stories on how policymakers are creating conditions for working-class people to emerge from the pandemic with a better future. This is an opportunity to deliver coverage that interprets actions at the Capitol and holds elected officials accountable for their political promises and actions affecting the world’s fifth-largest economy. This reporter will bring an enterprising and solutions-focused approach to this beat, shining a spotlight on public-policy issues and writing about and for the struggling workers in California whose voices often are not heard. This journalist will combine real people with data-driven reporting, elevating policy discussions and highlighting opportunities to provide California workers with a more secure financial future. The successful candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to fairness and accuracy, in fact and in tone, and a strong grounding in journalism ethics. Like all McClatchy journalists, the reporter must have demonstrated the desire and skills to build audience loyalty, engagement and growth around compelling public service journalism.