Senior Staff Writer – State Government

Job Description

We’re looking for someone whose reporting and analysis will illuminate and explain complex issues, who is adept at finding stories that influence public discourse and have real impact on policy and the people working to address the range of challenges our state faces, in part by holding those in power to account. Rather than reporting the news, this writer will go beyond the latest headline and explain what the news means and who it will affect. By adding context, new voices and perspectives and by uncovering trends and key developments, this writer will improve Minnesotans’ access to high quality journalism on state government and equip them to make better decisions. Through republication partnerships, outside appearances on other media platforms and occasional MinnPost events, this writer’s work will help grow MinnPost’s reach and impact while solidifying our place in the broader Minnesota media ecosystem as the trusted, go-to source for in-depth, explanatory journalism on state government and politics.

The writer will be based at the Minnesota State Capitol during legislative sessions and will be expected to regularly attend meetings and events in-person, developing sources and story ideas through regular engagement with people working both within and outside of state government. The writer will also be expected to regularly engage with colleagues and editors, contributing to a collaborative team keen on ensuring our stories engage audiences on multiple platforms through great writing, data visualizations and multimedia elements.

Relevant skills: 

• Outstanding writing skills and the ability to bring a distinctive voice to stories, newsletter intros and social media posts
• High-level enterprise reporting and analytical skills 
• Data literacy, especially with government data and documents
• Demonstrated track record with enterprising, in-depth reporting, preferably with experience covering state government or a similar beat 
• Ability to multitask and work on deadline, turning stories quickly to maximize reach and impact
• Self-starting, proactive attitude and experience with collaborating with colleagues
• An interest in audience engagement and experience speaking at events and on other media about their reporting

There are great candidates who might not check all these boxes or who hold important skills we haven’t listed. Don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

To better reflect the communities we serve, we seek to recruit staff members from many backgrounds and with diverse identities. We strongly encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities.

This position’s minimum starting salary is $90,000. 

This position is covered by collective bargaining agreement with TNG-CWA 37002, the Minnesota Newspaper & Communications Guild.

Benefits:

• Health insurance with employer paying 80% of healthcare premiums for employees and 50% of premiums for family members
• Dental insurance with employer paying 80% of premiums for employees
• 401(k) dollar-for-dollar employer match up to 3% for all 401(k) contributions and eligible student loan payments
• 15 paid days off, 8 paid holidays, and 4 floating holidays
• 12 days of sick time
• Monthly phone stipend 
• Employer paid short term disability insurance and life insurance
• Options for vision, long term disability, and supplemental life insurance

We’re committed to maintaining a healthy work-life balance and providing a place for staff to feel supported in their professional growth and achieve ambitious goals.

To apply, please submit a resume, 3-5 examples of your work and answer a few application questions using this form.

The priority deadline is Dec. 20, 2024, and our goal is to have someone in the position as close to the beginning of the next legislative session as possible. Applications submitted after the priority deadline will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Powered by Journalismnext