California Playbook Co-Author

POLITICO; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

POLITICO in Sacramento is seeking a dynamic California Playbook reporter to lead our must-read rundown of state politics. You will break news, build deep sources across political, business and civic circles, and contribute to national coverage.

The role requires sharp writing, a lively voice, and the energy to engage our subscribers daily. You’ll appearances on TV/radio and represent POLITICO at events, shaping coverage of California politics for a national audience.

Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of California politics, key players and forces driving policymaking and elections.
• Excellent reporting skills, including the ability to break news regularly.
• Superior writing skills, a distinctive voice and the ability to break down politics for insiders and casual readers alike.
• Entrepreneurial drive to produce and strengthen POLITICO’s California Playbook daily.
• Strong news judgment and a sense for stories that resonate with POLITICO’s national audience.
• Ability to work independently yet in close coordination with editors across California and in Washington.
• Experience sourcing in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley political, business or technology communities is a plus, but not required.

Responsibilities

• Work with the California Playbook team to break news and illuminate political dynamics for state and national readers alike.
• Build a deep source base across California’s political, business and civic power centers.
• Keep a constant eye on daily developments of high interest to our readers.
• Write national stories for the POLITICO homepage that explain California political currents and their implications for the nation.
• Make regular appearances on television and radio to explain California political and policy news.
• Serve as an ambassador for our coverage through POLITICO events.

Skills

California politics knowledge

Excellent reporting skills

Superior writing skills

Entrepreneurial drive

Strong news judgment

Independent yet collaborative

SF / Silicon Valley sourcing

Job description

Job Description

POLITICO is seeking a dynamic, enterprising political reporter to join the California Playbook team, writing our must‑read rundown of politics in the nation’s most populous state.

Who You Are

We’re looking for someone with a track record of delivering political scoops and being the first to know what’s happening in California political power centers. This reporter should have a strong understanding of California and national politics and a passion for uncovering the forces and personalities driving the day. They must have a lively voice that engages our deep subscriber list and continues to distinguish California Playbook.

What You’ll Do

• Work with the California Playbook team to break news and illuminate political dynamics for state and national readers alike.
• Build a deep source base across California’s political, business and civic power centers.
• Keep a constant eye on daily developments of high interest to our readers.
• Write national stories for the POLITICO homepage that explain California political currents and their implications for the nation.
• Make regular appearances on television and radio to explain California political and policy news.
• Serve as an ambassador for our coverage through POLITICO events.

What You’ll Need

• A deep knowledge of California politics, including the key players and forces driving policymaking and elections across the state.
• Excellent reporting skills, including the ability to break news on a regular basis.
• Superior writing skills, a distinctive voice and a knack for breaking down politics for insiders and more casual readers alike.
• The entrepreneurial drive to produce and help strengthen one of POLITICO’s most‑read publications on a daily basis.
• Strong news judgment and a sense for which stories will resonate with POLITICO’s national audience.
• The ability to work independently yet in close coordination with editors across California and in Washington.
• Experience sourcing in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley political, business or technology communities is a plus, but not required.

COMPENSATION

$100,000-$120,000 Annual Base. The final salary offered will be based on factors including relevant experience, skills, and qualifications.

About Us

POLITICO illuminates the forces shaping global power. Since 2007, we have delivered intelligence that anticipates tomorrow's headlines, not reports on yesterday's news. As politics has increasingly become the defining force of our era, our work has never been more vital. Cabinet secretaries and Ministers start their mornings with our analysis. CEOs shape strategy around our reporting. Advocacy leaders rely on our insights to move policy. We deliver the straightforward facts and clear‑eyed analysis they need to navigate the most complex political landscape of our lifetimes. Our 1,100+ publishing professionals across the world's key democratic capitals—Washington, Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Sacramento, and New York—form the world's premier politics and policy newsroom. We tell the story of how power really works by explaining who wields it and how they plan to exercise it, connecting dots others miss and delivering scoops from sources others don't even know exist. Innovation has always been a core tenet of our story. At launch, we bet that depth would trump scale, that talent would trump traffic, and that politics would become central to modern life. In 2011, we made another bet and launched POLITICO Pro to help decision‑makers understand the business of government, transforming both how they shape government action and the business of journalism itself. These bets have made POLITICO the most successful digital news startup of its generation and the indispensable resource for leaders who shape the future. Today, we are a rarity in media: a growing, profitable, and sustainable news organization. POLITICO is a subsidiary of Axel Springer SE, a family‑owned transatlantic media company headquartered in Berlin and New York. Axel Springer is dedicated to shaping the future of journalism in the free world, believing that a free and informed society is essential to democracy. Learn more about Axel Springer.

Posting Date

2026-09-08

Title

California Playbook Co-Author