Crime, Courts & Local Government Reporter

Date Posted	February 26, 2026
Industry	Newspapers
Specialty	Not Specified
Job Status	Not Specified
Salary	Not Specified

Description:

Crime, Courts & Local Government Reporter-Butte, MT

The Montana Standard, a trusted daily newspaper serving Butte and Southwest Montana, is seeking an ambitious, watchdog-minded reporter to cover crime, courts and local government.

This is a high-impact beat in a historic, resilient community with a strong sense of identity and accountability. We’re looking for a reporter who will be able to juggle a full plate as they will be expected to move quickly on breaking news, keep a pulse on local government happenings and dig into big crime and Butte’s court system.

What you’ll cover

The reporter will lead coverage on crime and public safety news, as well as courts and the local justice system. The beat also includes reporting on Butte-Silver Bow local government, public meetings and key policy decisions that shape the community.

The ideal candidate will be proactive about building relationships with sources in law enforcement, courts and government, and will bring curiosity, persistence and a passion for public-service journalism. The ability to analyze public records, budgets and data is important.

Beyond daily coverage, we’re looking for someone who can pursue accountability reporting that examines public agencies and elected officials, while also developing enterprise and investigative stories. The beat is a busy one, but we strive to carve out time for deeper reporting that provides context and impact to our readers.

Our priorities and values

Butte isn’t your average Montana town, and The Standard isn’t your average newsroom. You’ll join a small yet mighty team of experienced journalists who care deeply about the community they cover. We value hustle and collaboration.

We are a digital-forward newsroom that prioritizes multimedia storytelling. Experience with SEO, web-centered headline writing and video is a plus. 

Why Butte?

Butte is tough, proud, and unpolished in all the right ways.

Situated on the Continental Divide, it’s a town built by miners and makers, where history and community spirit run deep. Uptown’s historic brick buildings and neon signs are home to a growing mix of restaurants, coffee shops, galleries and music venues. For those seeking Montana’s great outdoors, Butte offers front-door access to some of the best hiking, skiing, fishing, and exploring in the state.

Why Lee?

Lee Enterprises offers competitive wages in a dynamic, interesting work environment with career growth opportunities.  We offer an extensive benefit program that can be personalized to your needs which includes medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability, company provided life insurance and supplemental life insurance. In addition, we offer a 401K retirement plan with company match.  We also offer generous paid time off to allow flexibility to balance personal life and work.  This includes paid parental leave for new parents.

Lee Enterprises is a major subscription and advertising platform and a leading provider of local news and information, with daily newspapers, rapidly growing digital products and nearly 350 weekly and specialty publications serving 75 markets in 25 states. Year to date, Lee's newspapers have an average daily circulation of 1.0 million, and our legacy websites, including acquisitions, reach more than 34 million digital unique visitors.

Lee Enterprises is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we participate in E-Verify. We are committed to attracting and retaining a workforce whose diversity reflects the communities we serve. Lee embraces change, and we recognize that we must create and maintain a culture of fervent inclusion. For more information about Lee, check us out at www.lee.net.

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https://jobs.dayforcehcm.com/en-US/leeenterprises/CANDIDATEPORTAL/jobs/29956