Southwest Louisiana Investigative Reporter

Date Posted	March 06, 2026
Industry	Digital Media
Specialty	Not Specified
Job Status	Not Specified
Salary	Not Specified

Description:

The Current, a Deep South Today newsroom based in Lafayette, La., is seeking an investigative reporter to cover Southwest Louisiana, posted in the Lake Charles area. 

This is a rare opportunity to build something from the ground up. Lake Charles and the surrounding region are shaped by forces that demand sustained scrutiny — industrial expansion, hurricane recovery, coastal loss, and the public agencies and power brokers that operate with too little oversight. 

The SWLA Investigative Reporter’s mandate is broad, including government accountability and public spending, disaster recovery and long-term rebuilding, environmental and industrial oversight, and regulatory enforcement and systems failure. You will establish a consistent reporting presence in the Lake Charles area while pursuing investigative projects of regional or national significance.

The ideal candidate is tenacious, disciplined and skilled at the kind of methodical, source-driven reporting that holds power to account. You should be comfortable working independently while collaborating with a compact, committed editorial team.

The Current is a small newsroom, and we put a premium on colleagues who are thoughtful, creative and agile.  

Expectations:

• Maintain a consistent weekly reporting presence in the Lake Charles area

• Drive at least one major investigative project per year

• Produce clean, error-free copy on deadline

• Proficient with public records requests, data analysis and document review

• Command of journalism ethics and core investigative reporting skills

It's a plus if you have experience with:

• Environmental, industrial or regulatory reporting

• Editorial photography or other multimedia

• Data visualization

• Magazine-style writing

What you'll get:

• The opportunity to work alongside award-winning journalists and make an impact 

• Latitude to try stuff and see what works 

• Highly competitive salary with medical insurance, and options for vision and dental insurance

• 29 days paid time off 

• Up to 12 weeks of parental family leave, with return-to-work flexibility.

• Simple IRA with 3 percent company matching. Group-term life insurance provided to employees ($15,000 policy) 

• Support for professional training and attending industry conferences 

• Access to the resources and talent in the Deep South Today network, including our sister newsrooms at Mississippi Today, winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize, and Verite News in New Orleans 

Location: Lake Charles, Louisiana

Compensation: $60,000 

Deadline to apply: March 20, 2026

How to Apply:

We’re committed to building an inclusive newsroom that represents the people and communities we serve. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply for this position, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people and people who are differently abled.

Apply

https://thecurrentla.com/jobs/swla-investigative-reporter/