Senior Political Reporter at McClatchy in Lexington, Kentucky

Job Description:

The Herald-Leader seeks a senior political reporter to join our award-winning newsroom and cover our Congressional delegation; the issues percolating in Washington, D.C., that directly affect our commonwealth; and the elected leaders and candidates involved in the biggest political stories on the national stage that will resonate across Kentucky. You must be a fair, fearless and enterprising reporter with a successful track record of revelatory reporting on national politics and policies that could spur change in the lives of readers.  

This reporter analyzes and reports on federal issues in Washington through the prism of Kentucky. The ideal candidate will help readers understand how decisions on Capitol Hill and in the White House affect the daily lives of taxpayers, constituents, businesses and voters in our state. 

While you’ll have an eye on D.C., you must write through a distinctly local lens, translating for readers how the actions of Congress and the Trump administration have consequences for the people who live here. 

You will be based in Lexington, but you will build expansive source networks both locally and in Washington.

Accountability reporting sits at the center of this role, and this journalist will produce a regular cadence of stories that pressure test the promises and proclamations made by public officials in power. You should have a proven track record of: 

• Generating ahead-of-the-curve, sophisticated story ideas.
• Cultivating the sources necessary to deliver exclusive reporting in a competitive landscape.
• Flexing routinely the skills needed to write timely, authoritative, exclusive and relevant stories

Investigative journalism is a major expectation of this beat. Your approach and work must be fair-minded, yet fearless, while recognizing our credibility is an unfailing currency. We seek a tenacious, curious watchdog reporter who will track the actions of those in Washington: 

Translation: Our reporter will hold our elected officials to account. 

This senior political reporter must have the drive and curiosity to produce compelling enterprise, as well as the writing and audience skills to ensure these stories connect with our audiences. You must have independent reporting skills and the initiative to find stories on your own, as well as the ability to take direction from editors.

We believe in collaboration, which means you’ll work closely with colleagues in Central Kentucky and occasionally with others in Washington. 

The biggest challenges confronting Kentucky are numerous, including our commonwealth’s national standing after the retirement of Sen. Mitch McConnell; economic and environmental issues; and our sagging health, educational and personal wealth scores. 

You will provide blanketing coverage of our state’s two senators and six members of Congress and the related agencies that will hold great sway in determining Kentucky’s future in the second half of this decade. We seek a senior political reporter who can deliver coverage that unravels these issues and holds elected officials accountable for their decisions.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Be the best federal and Congressional reporter in our commonwealth. You will lead, not follow. 
• Break news, write accountability stories and produce enterprise on the issues and the politicians and public officials whose decisions affect our readers’ daily lives. You’ll routinely produce “Reality Check” stories. 
• Leverage AI tools and platforms to strengthen your reporting while finding efficiencies and expanding the sophistication of your work. .  
• Work collaboratively with other reporters.
• Find creative, audience-focused ways to tell political stories that connect with a wide range of readers.
• Embrace alternative story formats, experimenting with multimedia storytelling and collaborating with colleagues on our visual and data teams.
• Be accurate, fair and unbiased in your reporting and the stories you write. 
• Bring an unflinching focus on our audience, with a commitment to grow readership.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING:

• Unyielding intellectual curiosity. It’s a beat where “why” and “what it means” is equally important to the “what happened.” 
• Strong writing skills, excellent news judgment and a demonstrated ability to “see the story” that is going to matter to readers.
• Ability to build source networks and bring a constant flow of story ideas.
• Enthusiasm for learning new skills and technologies, including the use of AI. 
• Comfort with a job that will be demanding, fast-paced and constantly evolving.
• The ability to work well in a team environment, but also a track record for independent, unbiased reporting.  

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

The successful candidate should meet many, though not necessarily all, of the following requirements:

• At least five years of reporting experience.
• A college degree or equivalent experience.
• A demonstrated commitment to breaking news, quick-turn accountability and enterprise journalism.
• Experience with public records requests. 
• An unwavering commitment to accurate, nonpartisan, ethical reporting.
• Knowledge of local, state and national politics, legislative procedures and experience with campaign coverage.

ABOUT LEXINGTON and CENTRAL KENTUCKY

At the Herald-Leader, we pride ourselves on breaking stories first and producing impactful, accountability-driven journalism that serves our community. We recently have been tabbed the best big-market newsroom in Kentucky three years running, largely because of comprehensive political coverage, a consistent stream of public service journalism and the desire to be the best newsroom of our size in the country. 

Our revelatory investigative work in 2024 exposed abuse and criminal behavior by guards inside our juvenile justice facilities, for example, triggering a US Department of Justice Investigation. We defend the First Amendment and protect Kentucky’s most vulnerable.

Our content focuses on our local communities. And in that role, we have the ability to spotlight problems, highlight solutions and truly make a difference -- all the reasons you got into journalism. And we are part of McClatchy Media Company, a digitally driven company focused on innovation, with newsrooms in 30 communities in the United States.

Our newsroom is located in Lexington, in the heart of Kentucky’s beautiful bluegrass region. Our commonwealth is known for bourbon, basketball and the world’s finest thoroughbreds. Lexington is a vibrant area with a rich cultural heritage, growing arts scene, affordable quality of life and an array of unique restaurants and recreational opportunities. 

Put simply: It provides a front-row seat to compelling stories.

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

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. 

About the McClatchy Media Company

The McClatchy Media Company features a portfolio of vibrant and trusted news, lifestyle, entertainment brands and a robust retail distribution network. Our iconic local news brands, including the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star, Lexington Herald-Leader and The Sacramento Bee, have collectively earned a total of 57 Pulitzer prizes.

They are complemented by such popular lifestyle and entertainment brands as Us Weekly and Woman’s World. Together, our brands reach more than 100 million unique visitors a month,The McClatchy Retail Network, our distribution and logistics arm, offers delivery to more than 56,000 retail locations weekly.

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Salary/Compensation: $70,000 - $86,000 per year

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