Service Journalism Reporter
 McClatchy | |
 United States, Washington, Bellingham | |
 Oct 01, 2025 | |
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Mc Clatchy Media is seeking an audience-focused reporter to join its collaborative and hard-working Bellingham Herald newsroom as a service journalism reporter. The reporter will be based in Bellingham, a beautiful coastal city near the Canadian border, joining a reporting group that is fun, team-oriented and always looking for new ways to reach readers and tell the unique stories of western Washington state. The service journalism reporter, part of a regional 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 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. Service journalists dig into city curiosities as well as “talkers” on sites including 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 Google Trends, 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. Mc Clatchy 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:
In this role, you will need to:
What you'll bring: Must have:
Nice to have:
What we'll bring: As a journalist at Mc Clatchy, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. Mc Clatchy 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, Mc Clatchy provides benefits to support you and your family in achieving your health and wellness goals. For more information on Mc Clatchy's benefit plan, please visit Mc Clatchy Livewell.com. Bellingham, with a population of 90,000, sits between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, and offers stunning views of Cascade Mountain and easy access to San Juan Islands – perfect for whale-watching! The city has a celebrated craft brewery scene and is a great place for hikers, snow skiers and kayakers. To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, 3-6 work samples for full consideration. References may be requested. The anticipated base pay range for this position is between $21.64 and $24.94 per hour. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, relevant education, department equity, training, geography and local wage and hours laws. About the Mc Clatchy Media Company The Mc Clatchy 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 Mc Clatchy Retail Network, our distribution and logistics arm, offers delivery to more than 56,000 retail locations weekly. #LI-RB1 Salary/Compensation: $45,011 - $51,875 per year recblid aw0jp2e8mvfqmxenmdu4ozz9d9hbk1 | |