Johnson County Watchdog Reporter at McClatchy in Kansas City, Missouri

Job Description:

The Kansas City Star is looking for a high-energy, self-starting and community-minded reporter to cover a growing and changing Johnson County. 

This reporter will be tasked with covering news, local governments, school districts and other influential institutions with a strong focus on accountability, in a way that reflects and reaches residents across the suburban county. 

They will find the topics that our Johnson County readers care about and will dig in, turning both quick stories each week and pursuing more enterprising angles. Story ideas will come from residents and neighborhoods, not just meeting agendas. The reporter will be open to using callouts and other engagement tools to hear from residents about what they’d like to see covered, and will utilize multiple story formats including service journalism-style explainers and fact checks.

This reporter will also work closely with our other politics and government reporters to keep an eye on how what’s happening in Johnson County affects the rest of the metro, and how those in Topeka and Washington are delivering to Johnson County. 

Johnson County remains a powerhouse in the Kansas City metro, often celebrated for its schools, services and quality of life, and the decisions leaders are making now will determine who will be able to enjoy those amenities in the future. The county is not immune to the affordable housing crisis facing cities and suburbs across the country, and the debate around the need for more multi-family housing options remains contentious. Meanwhile, major developments like the coming Panasonic plant are positioned to reshape the surrounding areas.

This reporter will show up with doggedness and humility to demonstrate that The Star is committed to consistent coverage that is useful to residents. Participation in The Star's broader outreach and community engagement efforts will be a requirement of this position.

The ideal candidate will have an understanding of how local governments and institutions work. We are looking for stories that connect the decisions of those in power to the everyday quality of life of Johnson County residents in sharp, fresh ways. We want stories that check forces of power when they don’t follow through, as well as stories about the next generation of cultural influencers shaping the county outside the halls of government.

The position will demand urgency and a keen eye for sharp news angles, strong source-building skills and the ability to find scoops and produce revelatory, high-impact journalism.

We are looking for candidates with strong interpersonal skills who can collaborate with editors, reporters, other staff members and residents. This reporter will work closely with editors and our audience development team to make sure we are reaching readers who have shown a thirst for this coverage.

What you'll bring:

• Strong writing skills and excellent news judgment.
• An unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism.
• An understanding of public records laws and how to use them.
• A collaborator who works well as part of a team. 
• A self-starter who will develop a strong network of sources to find and pursue stories that will reach a broad local audience.
• An interest in telling stories using a variety of media and engagement tools, and an enthusiasm for learning new skills and technologies.
• Fluency in the science of readership and engagement, including an understanding of metrics/analytics and an understanding of SEO and other audience optimization tactics.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including empathy and the ability to take and give constructive criticism.
• Ability to work comfortably in a job that will be fast-paced, data-driven, shaped constantly by feedback and experimentation and always evolving.

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.

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