Border & Immigration Reporter

The San Diego Union-Tribune is looking for a Reporter to cover border life and immigration issues affecting the San Diego-Tijuana region. We are looking for a versatile journalist who can take an enterprise approach to the beat, focusing on deeply reported, high-impact journalism. At the same time, the successful candidate must be able to juggle aggressive beat work and breaking news. This is an incredibly dynamic region to cover, and this reporter must be able to identify stories that resonate with a cross-border/U.S. readership. The beat is broad and covers both sides of the border. Coverage topics include everything from border enforcement, immigration policies, and migrant communities in the San Diego region to Tijuana politics, business and culture. This reporter should be able to cut through the rhetoric on border and immigration issues, and bring context and nuance to the beat, all while carefully navigating a complex reporting environment.

What You Will Do

Provide impactful enterprise stories and daily news reports for prominent display in print and on digital platforms
Build a network of sources within our cross-border community
Versatility is a must, as stories will cover a variety of topics
Write on deadline in a fast-paced environment
Pitch story ideas on a regular basis
Maintain communication with a supervising editor
Understand and use company-provided hardware, software and cloud-based equipment and systems for company business and tasks
Contribute to a positive culture of teamwork and collaboration
Pitch in on some weekend/holiday metro reporting shifts

What You Will Bring

A minimum of two years of journalism experience or equivalent
Academic degree or equivalent experience in journalism
Experience reporting in Mexico or on border issues is preferred but not a must
Fluency in Spanish
Ability to simplify complex subjects in a clear, engaging way
Command of various journalistic writing forms, including narrative and explanatory, with solid news judgment and fluency in style
Ability to work cooperatively and adaptively in a team setting
Proven ability to juggle multiple tasks in a deadline-driven environment
Commitment to the fundamentals of journalism: Fairness, accuracy, accessibility
The skill to mine human sources, documents and data

Travel

50% - Must have reliable transportation and be able to regularly cross the U.S.-Mexico border; SENTRI Pass recommended
The job is based in San Diego and requires frequent in-person reporting in Mexico; must be authorized to work in the United States

The hourly wage is $27.64 - $32.45. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, time in role, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, MediaNews Group offers a comprehensive benefits package, and a 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility).