Wisconsin Watch seeks a statehouse reporter

Wisconsin Watch is hiring an investigative reporter to focus on the Wisconsin state Legislature, governor’s office, state agencies and Supreme Court in a deeply polarized state where democracy itself is in peril.

This position is ideal for a relentless reporter who knows how to navigate bureaucracies to uncover the effects of state legislation, policies and laws on the lives of people in Wisconsin. The coverage will amplify the voices of underserved residents and expose efforts to weaken democracy in the state through government secrecy, disinformation and other strategies.

This reporter will be the third member of our Wisconsin Watch statehouse bureau. Strategic partnerships with other Wisconsin news organizations, built upon more than a decade of collaboration, will provide the reporter with insights to inform and increase the impact of our journalism.

Our multimedia journalism digs into undercovered issues, documents broken and failing systems, puts findings into regional and national contexts and explores potential solutions. We aim to spark impact that improves people’s lives and holds power to account.

If you have just some of the skills listed below, or others we failed to list, please consider applying for this position, especially if you are a candidate whose experience includes working with diverse members of the public. We are a nimble organization that strives to make the best use of the skills of our staff, and is dedicated to developing them.

Responsibilities

The reporter will:

Work with the statehouse bureau chief, managing editor, deputy managing editor and associate director to strategize, frame, report and write news stories.

• Develop sources in state government and in diverse communities, including urban and rural, and engage members of the public in identifying breakdowns in systems, attempts to dissuade or mislead residents and explorations of potential solutions to problems.
• Cultivate collegial and productive relationships with other news organizations.
• Work with early-career journalists working as interns and fellows for Wisconsin Watch.
• Collaborate with journalists at for-profit and nonprofit news organizations in Wisconsin and across the nation.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will be able to report and complete complex stories and visualize related multimedia elements while meeting deadlines. The candidate also will be comfortable working with experienced as well as early-career journalists.

Bonus skills:

• Be able to analyze and visually present data.
• Familiarity with Wisconsin, its history and its politics.
• Multimedia skills including photography, audio, video and editing.
• Spanish-language proficiency.

Expected salary range: $60,000 to $70,000 a year, commensurate with skills and experience.

Deadline: The initial application window will be open until June 1, 2023. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

For further information click here.