Gig Harbor Reporter

Date Posted	April 23, 2024
Industry	Newspapers
Specialty	Other
Required Education	Bachelor's Degree
Job Status	Full-time

Description:

The News Tribune in Tacoma, Washington, is looking for a smart, energetic journalist to discover and cover the greater Gig Harbor community.

Our team prioritizes coaching and mentoring. The News Tribune values early-career journalists as the future of our industry.

As a news reporter, you will cover daily stories that are relevant to Gig Harbor readers, including breaking and trending news, government and accountability.

At The News Tribune, we put a premium on in-depth coverage of our local communities. We invest in timely local journalism that our audience can’t get anywhere else. 

We have the ability to spotlight problems, highlight solutions and truly make a difference — all the reasons you got into journalism. 

We’re looking for a self-paced reporter with a passion for local news who can spot and report stories without waiting for the assignment. We need someone who can cultivate reliable sources. We are also looking for a collaborative journalist who wants to contribute to a team.

You will work with the communities editor to produce our weekly Peninsula Gateway publication and Gig Harbor newsletter.

The expected schedule is 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, depending on the news of the day. This afternoon shift will allow you to attend local government meetings in the Gig Harbor area and occasionally elsewhere across Pierce County, depending what’s on the agendas that week. You will also get a strong foundation in breaking news coverage. When Pierce County news breaks in the early evening, you will be responsible for working with our night editor to cover it quickly on deadline.

What are the responsibilities of the job?

• Find great stories that are highly readable and contribute to our mission
• Use social media platforms to help distribute and highlight work
• Use SEO smartly and strategically; understand other audience growth processes
• Understand and use audience metrics to help increase readership
• Shoot photos and video when needed
• Skillfully use content management systems
• Use data and research to inform reporting

What are the job requirements?

• College degree or equivalent experience
• Solid news judgment and excellent journalism ethics
• An intuitive sense of what’s important and interesting to audiences on all platforms
• A deep curiosity and high energy
• A commitment to diverse coverage through community engagement and source building
• A collaborative work ethic and the ability to communicate easily with people on our team and across the company
• Proficient knowledge of technology, including content management systems and storytelling tools
• Ability to quickly and accurately research and verify the authenticity of information, sources, photos and video.
• Must have reliable transportation.
• Must have valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance required (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works).

What should you know about our company?

We are part of McClatchy, a digitally driven company focused on innovation, with newsrooms in 30 communities in the United States.

We are headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, a lively region for news and an interesting place to live. Our community is growing, with up-and-coming restaurants, breweries, thriving museum and theater districts and myriad opportunities for outdoor recreation, from water sports to mountaineering. We’re uniquely located near three national parks — Mount Rainier being our favorite — and the Sound. The big-city lights of Seattle are only 30 miles away.

We primarily serve Pierce County, covering breaking news, weather, sports and entertainment news. We are an award-winning organization with a reputation for accuracy, fairness, credibility and civic purpose. Our investigations bring about change. Our community involvement touches readers. We deliver information to them quickly and truthfully.

What we’ll bring: As a journalist at McClatchy, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. McClatchy strives to be an employer of choice, and our benefits package is made with this goal in mind. With a focus on health, well-being, wealth and daily life, our package options include healthcare coverage for employees and their families, financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses, multiple no-cost wellness resources and even coverage for four-legged friends. 

Our overall benefits package also includes a 401(k) with employer match, competitive paid time off and corporate holidays, and a variety of mental health benefits. With an excellent support team and with focus on your well-being as a top corporate strategy, McClatchy provides benefits to support you and your family in achieving your health and wellness goals. For more information on McClatchy's benefit plan, please visit McClatchyLivewell.com. (Exclude this sentence for Miami Herald / el Nuevo Herald positions per Guild contract)

Questions about applying?

Are you on the fence about applying? Please do. We’re excited to hear from you. Please include a cover letter, resume and examples of your work as part of your application. You may also include links to personal websites or your portfolio, if available. Send questions to Alexis Krell at akrell@thenewstribune.com. 

About McClatchy:

Our impact is growing every day. 30 growing markets. Over 65 million monthly readers. 57 Pulitzer Prizes. A strong portfolio of dynamic partnerships and smart investments. Our award-winning journalism, digital reach, and commitment to innovative growth have never been stronger. 

As a member of the McClatchy family, you are part of a flexible, empowering, and exciting culture dedicated to creating a work/life balance and consistent opportunities for growth—a place where you have a voice and the ability to impact our future. It’s an exciting time to be here. Our company is experiencing the most transformative period in its history. We’re growing rapidly in the digital space and delivering award-winning journalism in innovative ways.