Food Correspondent

Date Posted	October 13, 2025
Industry	Digital Media
Specialty	Not Specified
Required Education	Bachelor's Degree
Job Status	Full-time
Salary	$65,000-$75,000

Description:

Food and Dining Correspondent
Lookout Eugene-Springfield

Lookout Local is building the next generation of local news, with thriving operations in both Santa Cruz and our six-month old site  in Eugene-Springfield. In Eugene, we are bringing our proven model of community-centered journalism to restore trusted local news, strengthen civic life, and ensure residents have the coverage they deserve — already making Lookout the second-largest news publication in Oregon. In Santa Cruz, our organization is thriving and growing, in our impact, newsroom size, membership and reading audience. Our models – business, community and journalism – are working, with the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News award certifying Lookout’s excellence and community-centric mission. 

Learn more about Lookout:

Lookout Santa Cruz: https://lookout.co/
Lookout Eugene-Springfield: https://lookouteugene-springfield.com/
Lookout Expansion coverage: https://lookout.co/network
Lookout Pulitzer coverage: https://lookout.co/tag/lookouts-2024-pulitzer-prize

Position Overview:

Lookout correspondents provide readers with timely, useful, and connect-the-dots reporting that distinguishes the Lookout model. Readers know our correspondents through bylines and photos and look to them for reliable news and information. This role involves working deeply into beats, collaborating with colleagues on both breaking news and in-depth pieces, and excelling at narrative storytelling. Lookout Eugene-Springfield’s Food and Dining Correspondent will approach the beat with a broad lens, covering dining recommendations and the business of dining – new or closing businesses – along with local industry news and issues. Agriculture, food events, as well as the robust wine, beer and beverage industries, and justice issues related to food access, will also be a part of this correspondent’s beat. Food is an access point, a gateway to a larger story. The work of Lily Belli, Lookout Santa Cruz’s food correspondent, is emblematic of what we look for in Eugene-Springfield. 

Accessible food and dining content will be an important part of this correspondent’s beat and restaurant reviews and recommendations will make up some of the work. As a food journalist, this correspondent seeks to shine a light on the most important food and drink issues and people in the community. This correspondent will become both a trusted voice and a known personality in the Eugene and Springfield communities. Because of the wide scope, the tone of the stories can range from playful, such as a guide to a dining or industry trend, to serious, but they should always seek to inform the reader and deepen their understanding of their community from the viewpoint of food.

The ideal candidates will provide fair, accurate, and non-partisan news, work at the cadence of digital publishing, and be enthusiastic about the responsible use of newer technologies. We’re looking for journalists who see the power of revived local journalism and have the skills and enthusiasm to be part of a new team doing it.

Responsibilities:

• Reporting and Storytelling:

• Provide timely, useful, and connect-the-dots reporting on assigned beats.

• Create narrative stories that give readers a fair, accurate, and non-partisan sense of the news that matters most to them.

• Collaborate with colleagues on breaking news and in-depth pieces.

• Conduct thorough research and investigations, verify facts and cross-check information to ensure reliability.

• Write clear, concise, and compelling stories in various styles, from breaking news to in-depth features. 

• Look for ways to help readers participate in their communities and to be of service to them.

• Digital Proficiency:

• Work at the cadence of digital publishing, ensuring timely updates and responsiveness to breaking news.

• Comfortable with social media platforms and integrating them into how we tell stories.  This includes on-camera video work.

• Collaboration and Teamwork:

• Collaborate with fellow journalists and editors to share insights, story ideas, resources, and expertise.

• Community Engagement:

• Engage with the community to understand their needs and interests, reflecting this in reporting.

• Build and maintain a network of sources and contacts. Develop relationships with key community members, officials, and experts.

• Enthusiastically represent Lookout Eugene-Springfield at community events and forums.

Qualifications:

• Proven, relevant experience as a journalist with a track record of timely and impactful reporting.

• Strong narrative storytelling skills with a commitment to fair, accurate, and non-partisan journalism.

• Proficiency with digital publishing tools and a keen interest in emerging technologies.

• Deep understanding of beat reporting and the ability to develop and maintain a network of sources.

• Demonstrated ability to serve readers’ news and information needs.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

• Passion for Lookout Eugene-Springfield’s mission and a deep understanding of the local community.

Application Process: Please send your resume and cover letter to jobs@lookoutlocal.com and put Eugene, [Food Correspondent] in the subject line.

What We Offer:

• Competitive salary and performance-based incentives.

• Full-time benefits include highly competitive medical, dental, and optical benefits, and 401(k) with matching.

• Good PTO allowances

• Equity, in the form of stock options.

• An opportunity to make a significant impact on the revival of local journalism.

• A collaborative and mission-driven work environment.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Lookout Eugene-Springfield is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.