News Correspondent

Correspondent
Location: Santa Cruz, California

Lookout Santa Cruz is looking for a correspondent able to tackle a wide range of topics and artfully tell the stories of our time in Santa Cruz County. We’re a national model local news startup, now moving quickly into the post-pandemic world. We seek an aggressive reporter enthused to quickly learn and master a new community, one we like to call paradise with lots of issues. We’ve done excellent work in our first 16 months and now add to our staff, as Lookout grows, first in Santa Cruz, and then into other markets. We have opened this position to add experienced firepower to a newsroom of 10. In just 16 months, we’ve established ourselves as a new, go-to trustworthy news company valued by those who read and care about local issues.

Our newsroom focuses on impactful stories, while as a primary news source, keeping our readers updated on step-process governmental proceedings and other actions briefly. We are high on explanatory, connect-the-dots reporting and pointed knowing writing. Whether in 500 or 2,500 words, we tell the readers what we know, well sourced and well told. We fit the formats to the content, using Q&As and Ask Lookouts, and other emerging formats – including video – in addition to narrative journalism.

We seek a correspondent enthused about our Lookout model, founded by national news analyst Ken Doctor. Overall, our team of correspondents are enthused about being part of a new model of community-centric, mobile-first, topically knowledgeable, intensely local journalism in Santa Cruz County. Lookout’s correspondents are the prominent public face of Lookout in all the diverse communities we serve.

Please send a detailed cover letter, resume and fitting work to jobs@lookoutlocal.com to apply.

Correspondents are full-time employees. We offer a highly competitive salary and benefits. As we are looking for people who are true voices of the community, the position is in-person and remote work is not being considered.

Experience & skills:

Rock-solid journalism judgment, intuition and taste.
A minimum of three years of professional (post-collegiate) experience
Experience and comfort with the pace of digital-first journalism, and the digital technologies that power it.
Ability to engage diverse local communities in Lookout’s work.
Ability to think through visuals that will aid storytelling and work with colleagues to activate them.
Demonstrated adaptability, especially with new topical coverage areas and communities.
Comfort learning new technology and experience working in content management systems, producing, editing and dressing stories with related media (photos, videos, etc).
Comfort with the format of Lookout’s correspondent-focused model, and the personality it brings to the work.
Desire to work in an entrepreneurial, fast-growth startup environment, embracing the agility and flexibility required to thrive within a new business.
Bilingual abilities are a plus.
Data reporting skills are a plus.
Audio/video experience is a plus.

Lookout Local is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.

As we interact with the public on a regular basis, a vaccination against COVID-19 is required for employment absent documented disability or religious reasons.