Politics/Policy Reporter Job at BrightPlus3 in Denver

Location: This job is based in the Denver area to cover the statehouse
Position Type: Full-Time
Salary: $60,000-$80,000, depending on experience, plus benefits including access to 401(k) and health, dental and vision insurance.
References: Please provide three professional references.
Contact: jobs@coloradosun.com

Colorado is a politically diverse and nationally important state, and we are seeking an energetic, curious, ambitious and self-sufficient reporter to help us expand our accountability reporting on everything from the state legislature and Congress to city halls and county commissions.

The ideal candidate knows how to cut through the jargon and tell compelling stories that distill complex issues for our readers.

This reporter will be based at the Colorado Capitol during the 120-day legislative session, which runs each year from early January to early May, and then expected to travel across the state to talk to local officials and voters, writing about political trends, policies and moods. When it’s election season, you’ll have to balance covering pivotal races, too.

We expect the next member of our award-winning politics team to have a nose for politics, the ability to find the policy stories that matter to Coloradans both rural and urban and all sides of the political spectrum, and the chops to tell those stories in an objective, nonpartisan manner.

We’re looking for someone with an entrepreneurial spirit who is always willing to pitch in to help our larger team. We’re a journalism startup with lots of room to try new things or look at the job with a new perspective. So come equipped with ideas about how to make this the newsroom of your dreams.

Responsibilities include

We ask our reporters to try to produce at least two stories per week, with the opportunity and space to report longer projects throughout the year. You’ll also contribute heavily to The Unaffiliated, our twice-a-week politics newsletter that’s become a must-read for political insiders in Colorado. As part of their coverage, our reporters chip in on other beats where necessary. Reporters also regularly contribute audio to The Daily Sun-Up, our daily podcast.

The politics/policy reporter should also be comfortable recording brief spots for podcasts and public radio appearances, speaking in front of groups, and snapping their own photos as needed. They should also be interested in newsletter reporting and writing, as that is a key component of this position.

Reporters should also have an interest in alternative story forms and be willing to experiment with different ways to tell a story.

Skills and qualifications

The ability to report thoroughly and write well is paramount. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter who knows when to jump on a story and file quickly and when to step back and explain what it all means — and the ability to do both with accuracy and style. Familiarity with basic office programs, including Gmail, Google Docs, WordPress and Slack are necessary. Applicants should have cultivated a professional social media presence and experience covering breaking news. Confidence in photography, audio recording and editing, videography, data analysis and/or visualization are all pluses, as is the ability to report in Spanish or another language useful in reporting stories in Colorado.

The ideal candidate will have worked in a professional newsroom for at least five years. This is not an entry-level position. We’d like to hire someone with experience covering a state legislature and/or politics who has a proven track record of breaking big stories and setting the conversation. Again, we want a self-starter.

About The Colorado Sun

The Colorado Sun is an award-winning news outlet based in Denver that strives to cover all of Colorado so that our state — our community — can better understand itself. The Colorado Sun is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

VISION

Be Colorado’s most-trusted, equitable, free and accessible statewide news outlet.

News is a public good, and we seek to build Coloradans’ greater understanding of the state’s people, policies, and places through in-depth, nonpartisan coverage of everything from politics and culture to the outdoor industry and the environment.

MISSION

The Colorado Sun produces investigative, watchdog, explanatory and long-form journalism to ensure that all Coloradans have access to the information they need to be informed citizens.

The Sun is a team of Colorado’s most experienced, award-winning and trusted journalists producing in-depth, high-quality coverage of our state. The Sun sheds light on rural and underserved communities and promotes greater understanding among diverse enclaves within Colorado. Our writers and photographers capture the spirit, culture and complexity of the people and institutions that define Colorado.

The Sun embraces our responsibility to provide coverage not only from far-flung communities, but for them whenever possible. Because all Coloradans deserve access to knowledge and information, The Sun shares our content with dozens of other news organizations across the state, collaborates with radio and TV colleagues and produces a podcast that serves, among others, members of Colorado’s blind and vision-impaired communities.

As an employer, the Colorado Sun strives to hire and retain a workforce that reflects the entire state, to encourage collaboration and to compensate people at levels that reward their expertise and talent.

The Sun does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information or veteran status in any area of its operations.

Application Instructions

• Include your phone number in the email body
• Put any cover letters or introduction messages in the body of your email
• Résumés/CVs can be attached or included in the body of your email
• Please provide three professional references

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