McClatchy is hiring: Service Journalism Reporter in San Luis Obispo

McClatchy Media is seeking an audience-focused reporter to join its collaborative and hard-working Tribune newsroom as a service journalism reporter.

The reporter will be based in San Luis Obispo, a vibrant city rich in California history, joining a reporting group that is fun, team-oriented and always looking for new ways to reach readers and tell the unique stories of California's Central Coast.

The service journalism team is focused on utility journalism with a mission to help local readers navigate day-to-day life. Service journalists use an accessible approach to write explainers, Q&As, fact checks and answer questions locally trending online. Reporters in this role also contribute to local and regional news and breaking news coverage.

This reporter should be able to craft stories based on local users' needs and interests, engage directly with readers online and potentially in person.

The reporter in this position will write frequently - they will welcome daily assignments as well as cultivate and pitch their own ideas, finding stories and questions in every corner of the community, online and in person. Service journalists dig into city curiosities as well as "talkers" on sites like Nextdoor and Reddit.

An enthusiasm for working in a team-centered environment that emphasizes support and occasional shared bylines is essential. A willingness to learn audience development skills, such as digital headline writing and SEO, is a must.

Expertise in a particular subject area is not required, but the successful candidate will bring to the role areas of interest and a deep understanding of what's important to local readers, preferably earned by working as part of a local news outlet. The ideal candidate will also have an excellent gauge of digital storytelling and the ability to work under the pressure of quick, daily deadlines.

McClatchy Media's journalists are expected to take advantage of opportunities to ethically harness and leverage AI and other automation to enhance and elevate their work and to find efficiencies that free them to focus on source-building and high quality, deeply reported journalism.

We have fun, and we write on the news, covering a little bit of everything. Here are just a few of the team's stories:

• Popular SLO County restaurant is moving to make way for apartments. Here's where
• New Paso Robles restaurant opens inside century-old farmhouse. Take a look
• SLO County dive bar ranked among best in the US. Hint: It's not Bull's Tavern
• I explored a massive swap meet in SLO County. Here's what I found on a $25 budget
• Gifford Fire is now biggest CA wildfire of 2025. See how it compares to other blazes
• New spot with authentic Mexican street food opens in SLO. 'Everything is fresh'

In this role, you will need to:

• Pitch stories that are off the beaten track and will resonate with many readers across our region.
• Report and write stories quickly in user-friendly formats.
• Find questions the community is asking and figure out the answers.
• Collaborate with other journalists from across the newsroom on major news events and local happenings.
• Demonstrate versatility, initiative and SEO savvy.
• Work in a team environment, both virtually and in person.

Must have:

• 1-3 years of reporting or writing experience.
• A college degree or work equivalent.
• Strong reporting and writing skills, as well as a demonstrated ability to see the story that is going to matter to readers.
• Flexibility and speed in writing to respond to evolving news events and user needs.
• Excellent news judgment and journalism ethics.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• A willingness to cover a variety of topics.
• A passion for utility journalism that helps readers in their daily lives.
• Must have reliable transportation. Must have valid driver's license and vehicle insurance required (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works).

Nice to have:

• A track record of community engagement and audience-centered reporting.
• Willingness to do some multimedia storytelling, including recording vertical video.
• Familiarity with Google Trends, social media platforms, public records requests and data.
• Familiarity with measuring and tracking success using metrics and analytics.
• A track record for innovation, learning and using new skills and technologies, especially AI.

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.

San Luis Obispo is known for its charming downtown, stunning scenery and enviable weather. Residents enjoy a wealth of fun outdoor activities, like hiking, mountain biking and surfing, along with a bustling restaurant scene and award-winning wineries. The city is perfectly positioned to take advantage of day trips to Los Angeles or the San Francisco Bay Area, with Yosemite National Park and Big Sur also within easy driving distance. Beautiful beaches are located about 10 miles from downtown SLO.

The anticipated base pay range for this position is between $23.69 and $28.42 per hour. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, department equity and relevant education.

To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, 3-6 work samples for full consideration. References may be requested.

About the McClatchy Media Company

The McClatchy Media Company features a portfolio of vibrant and trusted news, lifestyle, entertainment brands and a robust retail distribution network. Our iconic local news brands such as the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star and The Sacramento Bee, have collectively earned a total of 57 Pulitzer prizes and are complemented by popular lifestyle and entertainment brands such as Us Weekly and Woman's World. Together, our brands reach more than 100 million unique visitors a month. The McClatchy Retail Network, our distribution and logistics arm, offers delivery to more than 56,000 retail locations weekly.

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Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor. In Summary: The service journalism team is focused on utility journalism with a mission to help local readers navigate day-to-day life . Service journalists use an accessible approach to write explainers, Q&As, fact checks and answer questions . The reporter should be able to craft stories based on local users' needs and interests . En Español: McClatchy Media está buscando un reportero centrado en el público para unirse a su sala de noticias colaborativa y trabajadora Tribune como periodista de periodismo de servicio. El reportero estará ubicado en San Luis Obispo, una ciudad vibrante rica en historia de California, uniéndose a un grupo de informes que es divertido, orientado al equipo y siempre busca nuevas formas de llegar a los lectores y contar las historias únicas de la costa central de California. El candidato ideal también tendrá un excelente indicador de narración digital y la capacidad de trabajar bajo la presión de plazos diarios rápidos. Se espera que los periodistas de McClatchy Media aprovechen las oportunidades para aprovechar éticamente y apalancar AI y otras automatizaciones para mejorar y elevar su trabajo y encontrar eficiencias que les liberen a centrarse en la construcción de fuentes y el periodismo informado de alta calidad. Nos divertimos, y escribimos sobre las noticias, cubriendo un poco de todo. Aquí hay algunas historias del equipo: Encontrar preguntas que la comunidad está haciendo y averiguar las respuestas. Colaborar con otros periodistas de toda la sala de noticias sobre los principales eventos noticiosos y acontecimientos locales. Demostrar versatilidad, iniciativa y conocimiento SEO. Trabajar en un entorno de equipo, tanto virtualmente como personalmente. Debe tener: 1-3 años de experiencia en reporting o escritura. Un título universitario o equivalente a trabajo. Habilidades sólidas para informar y escribir, así como una habilidad demostrada para ver la historia que va a ser importante para los lectores. Flexibilidad y velocidad en la redacción para responder a los eventos de noticias en evolución y necesidades del usuario. Excelente juicio de noticias y ética de periodismo. Excelentes habilidades de comunicación y colaboración. Una disposición para cubrir una variedad de temas. Lo que traemos: Como periodista en McClatchy, te unirás a un equipo de apoyo, flexible y colaborativo. McClatchie se esfuerza por ser el empleador elegido, y nuestro paquete de beneficios está hecho con este objetivo en mente. Con un enfoque en la salud, bienestar, riqueza y vida cotidiana, nuestras opciones de paquetes incluyen cobertura médica para los empleados y sus familias, protección financiera contra gastos esperados e inesperados, múltiples recursos de bienestar sin costos e incluso cobertura para amigos de cuatro patas. McClatchy Media Company cuenta con una cartera de vibrante y fiable noticias, estilo de vida, marcas de entretenimiento y una sólida red de distribución minorista. Nuestras icónicas marcas locales de noticias como el Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star y The Sacramento Bee han ganado colectivamente un total de 57 premios Pulitzer y se complementan por populares marcas del estilo de vidas y del entretenimento tales como Us Weekly y Women's World. Juntos, las marcas llegan a más de 100 millones de empleadores.