Politics Reporter

About this role:

SAN is seeking a Politics Reporter who can see past the daily firehose of headlines and get to the forces actually shaping America’s political narrative. This role is all about decoding strategy, messaging, and the subtle mechanics that influence public understanding – not horse-race coverage. 

You’ll dig into how political stories get built, framed and sold. That means exposing tactics behind rhetoric, translating complex dynamics into sharp, accessible reporting, and helping audiences understand why certain narratives take hold. Your work will help our audience understand why a message lands, who it benefits and what it means for Americans. 

This is a chance to own one of the most consequential beats in journalism at a news organization that stands against bias and manipulation. We are looking for a reporter with strong instincts who is very well-sourced and has demonstrated excellence in balancing fast-paced daily coverage with deeper dives. Most importantly, the ideal candidate has the drive to reveal the systems and strategies steering public discourse. This reporter will play a leading role in covering the midterms and beyond. If you thrive on providing clarity in the chaos and delivering journalism that slices through the spin, we want to hear from you.

Responsibilities:

• Break exclusive, timely stories on political strategy, messaging, and partisan framing.
• Regularly pitch story ideas that fit SAN’s mission, both for daily news and for features.
• Cover political developments with clarity and urgency, focusing especially on enterprise and investigative pieces that explain how and why political decisions are made.
• Collaborate with editors to refine ideas and deliver high-impact stories.
• Analyze and report on trends in political messaging and public perception.
• Build and maintain a network of sources to stay ahead of the political news cycle.
• Maintain the highest ethical standards of journalism. Ensure accuracy, clarity and originality in all reporting.
• Provide fair coverage of controversial issues that stays true to SAN’s mission of unbiased journalism.
• Collaborate with SAN’s multimedia and marketing teams to highlight your journalism on shows, podcasts, videos and social media.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, political science, communications, or a related field is preferred.
• Proven experience as a politics reporter with a track record of breaking original stories.
• A strong network of sources within the political and policy-making spheres.
• Exceptional researching, writing and storytelling skills. Skilled in writing in AP Style.
• Knowledgeable in SEO. Experienced in CMS like WordPress and analytics tools.
• Commitment to accuracy, clarity and unbiased storytelling.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and manage multiple assignments.
• Experience with multimedia or cross-platform journalism, or willingness to learn.

Compensation & Benefits:

• The salary range for this position is $90,000-$150,000
• Straight Arrow News offers comprehensive health and wellness coverage that ensures our employees have the care and coverage they need to stay healthy, build current and future financial security and maintain work-life balance. All full-time employees and their dependents are eligible to enroll in our benefits. That includes generous paid time off, paid holidays and floating holidays; health coverage, vision and dental plans; retirement plans like the company's 401(k) plan with company match; and more.