WSJ seeks a food industry reporter in Chicago

The Wall Street Journal is looking for a creative and enterprising reporter to cover the U.S. food industry, a fertile beat that stretches from corporate boardrooms to consumers’ cupboards.

The beat, which will focus on the top packaged food companies in the U.S., includes responsibility for industry giants like Kraft Heinz, Kellogg and General Mills as well as broader coverage of the multibillion dollar Big Food industry from household names to startups that are at the forefront of rising dietary trends and new technologies.

Now is a critical moment for the US food industry – conglomerates whose stalwart brands received a boost during the pandemic are working to solidify and keep that business. Companies are reassessing their portfolios for the post-pandemic era and food makers are struggling with supply chain disruptions that have led to empty store shelves and shortages of basic necessities, including baby formula.

You will bring boundless energy for sourcing in and around your companies, including the regulators and lobbying groups that help shape U.S. food policy, the dealmakers who forge new industry powerhouses, the distributors and supermarkets that influence products’ place on shelves and the consumers whose evolving tastes affect business strategies.

The job is part of the Chicago Bureau’s award-winning team of reporters and reports to Chicago bureau chief Joanna Chung.

You will:

• Deliver fun and meaningful scoops as well as industry-wide trend stories about the food business that distinguish the Journal’s coverage.
• Produce distinctive enterprise on how food companies’ decisions shape American diets––and vice versa.
• Participate in the Global Food forum, one of the WSJ’s fastest-growing events, by choosing themes, identifying participants, conducting on-stage interviews and covering news generated by the event.

You have:

• A proven track record of dominating a business, finance or economics beat.
• A demonstrated ability to produce scoops, enterprise and fast breaking news coverage ahead of the competition.
• Boundless energy for sourcing in and around your companies.

The Journal’s reporters, editors, developers, and audio and visual journalists create important and impactful stories, firmly rooted in fact and adhering to the highest ethical standards. We report without fear or bias, and we maintain a proper sense of perspective, detachment and objectivity in our reporting.

To apply, please submit your resume, a cover letter describing how you would approach the role and clips that demonstrate your ability to cover a beat.

To apply, go here.