Job Description:

The Modesto Bee seeks a breaking news reporter who enjoys waking up in the morning ready to pounce on news. Modesto is a vibrant news town, and this reporter has a huge role in determining how we cover stories in the heart of California’s Central Valley. The position calls for moving with urgency, and it offers great opportunities to go deep and develop enterprise work off the news. In this role, you get to start and finish.

The reporting is fast-paced, competitive and rewarding. The opportunities are vast, from critical breaking crime news to meaningful stories that touch every aspect of life in California. Crime, wildfires, floods — breaking news provides the fulcrum on a variety of fronts, be they criminal justice, health, business, government, schools or, yes, fun. 

The Bee’s audience includes a growing community of 219,000 in Modesto, a vibrant city navigating the twin challenges of problems and promise, as well as a growing metro area of about 550,000. Opportunities for good storytelling abound. Our audience craves useful, solutions-oriented information, and this breaking news reporter stays on the edge of what’s happening now and next. You are part of a team helping to guide a community through change. 

Modesto is ethnically diverse, lively and growing. The downtown area is known for its restaurants and entertainment scene. Modesto is home to Gallo, the largest winemaker in the world, and is an agriculture-based economy that enjoys the amenities of larger cities. The city boasts tree-lined streets and parklands with walking and bike trails. We’re 75 miles east of the Bay Area and a 2½ -hour drive from Yosemite, Monterey and skiing. 

This is a great position, not only to report on breaking news for those who live here, but also to learn all the facets of life in Modesto and to develop a base for moving into other arenas of reporting. This reporter helps ensure we excel in our primary news mission while developing skills and areas of expertise.

In this role, you will need to:

• Be competitive, urgent and productive. Report and write quickly and thoroughly. 
• Be first, be accurate, be smart.
• Develop connections with key sources and expand that network to produce complete stories.
• Focus on our audiences’ interests and needs first and always, with a commitment to tactics that grow readership.
• Develop engaging multimedia storytelling.
• Demonstrate a command of audience analytics and knowledge of the tactics that deliver results.
• Demonstrate speed, competitiveness and SEO savvy.
• Work closely with editors, and collaborate with visual editors and our audience growth team.
• Work well in a team environment. 

The successful candidate should meet the following requirements:

• Two years of journalism experience.
• Strong reporting and writing skills, excellent news judgment and a demonstrated ability to “see the story” that is going to matter to readers.
• Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism.
• Ability to work collaboratively to aggressively tackle stories.
• Comfort with a job that will be demanding, fast-paced and constantly evolving.
• College degree or equivalent work experience.

The anticipated base pay range for this position is between $25.64 and $29.00 per hour. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, relevant education, department equity, training, geography and local wage and hours laws.

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 includes 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 benefit 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.

To apply, include a cover letter, your resume and four to six examples of your work.

About McClatchy

Our impact is growing every day. 30 growing markets. More than 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.

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