The Texas Tribune, the state’s go-to source for Texas politics and public policy news, is hiring a General Assignment Reporter to cover breaking news, take on selected topics that our beat writers don’t currently cover, and seek out stories that reflect everyday Texans’ lives.
We’re looking for a journalist who will take a deeply collaborative approach to working with colleagues across the newsroom. They will need voracious energy, broad curiosity, and clever ideas about the best way to present the news of the day or week. Versatility, flexibility and a sense of urgency are a must.
This journalist will work Sunday through Thursday as a go-to general assignment reporter for breaking news on Sundays. Throughout the week, they will be a key player in our coverage of major news events; quickly researching an unexpected development coming out of our politics or policy beats; assisting beat reporters on quick-turn news analyses; and producing public-interest explainers on diverse topics, such as large-scale crises, proposed legislation and ongoing legal battles. Of course, this reporter will also be expected to help with election coverage.
When not working on quick-turn pieces, the General Assignment Reporter is expected to pitch and deliver well-reported stories that show a deep understanding of Texas and help drive the news agenda. This reporter should help take ownership of some of the emerging issues in the state. The Tribune would like this reporter to produce criminal justice coverage, but we are open to proposals to cover other issues not on an existing beat.
The General Assignment Reporter will actively participate in the Tribune’s live journalism events and represent the newsroom in broadcast media appearances under the guidance of the Marketing and Communications team. Collaborating with our Audience team is essential to ensure that our journalism reaches a wide and engaged readership beyond our website. This involves promoting stories on social media platforms, creating scripts for social videos, and participating in various off-platform initiatives such as newsletters, podcasts, and live events. Additionally, team members may engage directly with readers by answering questions, providing context on developing political stories, or highlighting key takeaways from in-depth reporting.
The General Assignment Reporter’s day-to-day and long-term priorities will be informed by the overall news direction and priorities of the Tribune’s newsroom leadership. This position reports directly to the Health and Human Services Editor.
The salary for this position will vary according to experience; the minimum is $60,000.

QUALIFICATIONS

• BA/BS degree
• 2+ years of relevant experience OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience is preferred
• A passion and talent for jumping on quick-turn enterprise writing
• A demonstrated ability to work quickly and under tight deadlines
• A deep commitment to and enthusiasm for both breaking news and enterprise reporting
• A clear desire and proven ability to collaborate with other colleagues across the organization
• A strong sense and devotion to journalistic ethics and libel law
• Strong communication and storytelling skills using AP style
• Ability to research and fact-check information on your own using excellent writing, reviewing and editing skills
  We know some great candidates won’t check all of these boxes, and we also know you might bring important skills that we haven’t considered. Don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

• Write accurate, clear and well-reported stories on deadline
• Identify and pitch stories on a variety of Texas politics and policy topics.
• Balance news coverage with deeply reported enterprise stories.
• Work with other reporters and teams throughout the newsroom on various assignments.
• Occasionally travel and work on nights, weekends and holidays.
• Collaborate with visual, data and audience teams for storytelling.
• Occasionally moderate live panels with newsmakers for our events.