Investigative Reporter & Columnist

WE'RE SEEKING AN INVESTIGATIVE COLUMNIST FOCUSED ON READERS WHILE ALSO DELIVERING A "REALITY CHECK" TO THE VOTES, SPENDING DECISIONS AND ACTIONS OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND GOVERNMENTS  

The Herald-Leader, judged as Kentucky's best large-market newsroom for two straight years, is seeking a sophisticated, insightful, intellectually curious and ambitious reporter to engage with readers and be their watchdog. The "Reader's Watchdog" role is an investigative columnist who interacts with taxpayers, voters, property owners, residents and readers to field their questions - and then find answers. From tangles with City Hall to failed luck with legislators, the Reader's Watchdog focuses on relevant questions, issues and even frustrations from the public and investigating. This role also will generate "reality checks" to go beyond press releases and political bluster to tell the real story about the decisions, votes and actions of elected officials and public government.  This is a new beat that reflects our commitment to broaden our public service reporting, evocative storytelling and serving the needs of under-represented / vulnerable communities across our commonwealth (especially in Appalachia) with important and potentially life-saving news.  

WHAT WE'RE ABOUT AT THE HERALD-LEADER AND LEXINGTON  

Judges in the most recent Kentucky Press Association contest lauded the Herald-Leader's commitment to investigative reporting, powerful storytelling and our diligence to better connect readers with the world around them - from their neighborhood, to our state capital in Frankfort, to the halls of power in Washington. We are committed to giving readers the most comprehensive, revelatory and essential daily local report. This beat - a new one in our Newsroom - speaks to our commitment to digging deep on important topics, asking tough questions about purpose and the spending of public dollars. It is unique in that its success relies on reader interaction and solving their questions, problems and frustrations with public agencies and elected officials. This job brings an especially sharp focus to the importance of impact: We break stories, go beyond what public officials say and immediately talk about how readers will be affected. What are potential consequences for readers, voters, taxpayers and residents?  Answering that, "What does it mean to readers?" question is essential to our efforts.  

We also believe a cornerstone of our efforts is fair and fearless watchdog journalism, and this reporter will build on the Herald-Leader's considerable reputation in this critical area. We'll hold the powerful to account and offer hard-nosed, must-read accountability journalism that readers won't find anywhere else. We also promise a hands-on, instructive coaching and editing environment. You'll work directly with the executive editor to discuss the best potential ways to report and tell the story before it's launched and then work collaboratively with you during the editing process.  

Our journalism focuses on our local communities, and in that role we have the ability to spotlight problems, highlight solutions and truly make a difference -- all the reasons you got into journalism. And we are part of McClatchy, a digitally driven company focused on innovation, with newsrooms in 30 communities in the United States,  

We are in Lexington, the second-largest city in Kentucky and the center of our commonwealth's bourbon and horse industry. It's a beautiful corner of the country, sitting in an affordable, accessible region that offers an outstanding quality of life outside the Newsroom. Lexington is enjoying a regional renaissance with an up-and-coming arts scene, a wide array of locally owned restaurants and many opportunities for outdoor recreation, including the nearby Red River Gorge. We're also home to dozens of historic horse farms and idyllic Keeneland, which offers world-class horse racing several months of the year. And if you love the fun, educational and quality-of-life offered in a college town, we'll introduce you to the University of Kentucky, with its plethora of sports, teams, culture, classes and an energetic campus.  

WHAT YOU SHOULD BRING TO THE TABLE 

The ideal candidate will be intellectually curious, hungry to learn new skills, and have a proven track record for breaking stories, digging into public documents and building a broad and informative network of sources. You must be comfortable interacting with readers from across Kentucky and finding the best public watchdogs and consumer complaint departments that may yield public-facing stories.  

You also must know conversations about "audience," "engagement," "analytics" and "creative ways to tell a story" are part of our daily vernacular, right after: "What's the story and what does it mean to readers?"  

We're a digital news operation that still produces a daily print edition, but our entire focus is on two things: 1) Let's find, break and distribute consequential stories. 2) How do we share those stories digitally and engage subscribers and new readers on every imaginable platform? Our focus is on the digital space and not ink-on-paper. But everything begins with great content.  

This is an investigative role, so you need to be comfortable with public records and bring a dogged determination to find answers and root out wrongdoing. You'll need to bring a track record for multimedia reporting and a great comfort interacting with the public on social media channels - but doing so respectfully and thoughtfully and without healthy doses of snark that can impair our credibility. That's happening far too often in this industry we all love.  

In this role, you will need to: 

WHAT YOU'LL BRING  

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS 

The successful candidate should meet many, though not necessarily all, of the following requirements: 

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. (Exclude this sentence for Miami Herald / el Nuevo Herald positions per Guild contract) 

TO APPLY: 

Please include a persuasive cover letter, your resume and four to six examples of your best work in the application link below. 

ABOUT McCLATCHY: 

Our impact is growing every day. 30 growing markets. Over 65 million monthly readers. 57 Pulitzer Prizes. A strong portfolio of dynamic partnerships and smart investments. Our award-winning journalism, digital reach, and commitment to innovative growth have never been stronger.  

As a member of the McClatchy family, you are part of a flexible, empowering, and exciting culture dedicated to creating a work/life balance and consistent opportunities for growth-a place where you have a voice and the ability to impact our future. It's an exciting time to be here. Our company is experiencing the most transformative period in its history. We're growing rapidly in the digital space and delivering award-winning journalism in innovative ways.