City Hall Reporter

The Dallas Morning News; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Paid time off

Parental leave

Retirement plan

Job summary

The Dallas Morning News is seeking an experienced reporter to cover Dallas city government with urgency, depth and accountability. You will break news, produce enterprise and accountability stories, cover elections and explain how City Hall decisions affect residents.

Build trusted sources across City Hall and the broader community while collaborating with editorial teammates to deliver accurate, fair coverage. A strong background in public records, budgets and data is essential.

Qualifications

• At least five years of professional reporting experience, including significant coverage of local government, politics or public policy.
• Strong investigative skills using public records, budgets, contracts, campaign finance and data.
• Experience producing digital-first journalism and using multiple storytelling platforms.

Responsibilities

• Break exclusive news on the mayor, City Council, city departments and major municipal issues.
• Produce a mix of breaking news, accountability reporting, enterprise and feature stories.
• Publish with a digital-first mindset across formats and platforms.
• Cover local campaigns and elections with fairness and independence.
• Collaborate with investigative, data and visuals teams on major projects.

Skills

City government reporting

Investigative reporting

Source development

Digital journalism

Data literacy

Education

Bachelor's degree in journalism

Tools

AI tools

Job description

Role Overview

Help hold Dallas City Hall accountable through exclusive reporting, enterprise journalism and investigations that make a difference in people's lives. The Dallas Morning News is seeking an experienced, ambitious reporter to cover city government with urgency, depth and accountability. This reporter will break news, produce enterprise and accountability stories, help cover city elections, explain how City Hall decisions affect residents and hold elected officials and public institutions accountable.

What You'll Do

• Break exclusive news on the mayor, City Council, city departments and major municipal issues.
• Produce a mix of breaking news, accountability reporting, enterprise and feature stories that reveal how local government affects residents.
• Publish with a digital-first mindset, delivering timely reporting and using multiple storytelling formats.
• Cover local campaigns and elections with fairness, independence and a focus on their impact.
• Build and maintain a deep network of trusted sources across City Hall, neighborhood groups, business leaders and community organizations.
• Explain budgets, development, public safety, housing, infrastructure and other complex city issues with clarity.
• Cover City Council meetings, municipal elections and major city events with speed, accuracy and context.
• Collaborate with investigative, data, visuals and local newsroom teams on major projects.
• Use AI, analytics, audience insights and digital storytelling tools to maximize the reach and impact of your journalism.
• Uphold the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and verification under deadline.

What You'll Bring

• At least five years of professional reporting experience, including significant coverage of local government, politics or public policy.
• Demonstrated success breaking exclusive news and advancing competitive stories.
• Strong understanding of municipal government, public finance and local policymaking.
• Exceptional source-building skills across City Hall, political circles and the broader community.
• Strong investigative skills using public records, budgets, contracts, campaign finance and data.
• Proven ability to balance breaking news with enterprise and accountability reporting.
• Strong news judgment, interviewing skills and commitment to accuracy.
• Experience producing digital-first journalism and using multiple storytelling platforms.
• Experience collaborating across newsroom teams on major projects.
• Bachelor's degree in journalism or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Deep knowledge of Dallas city government, politics, civic issues and the city's business community is a plus.

Work Smarter with AI

Through Our Strategic Content Partnership With OpenAI And Our Exclusive ChatGPT Enterprise License, We Have Access To The Latest Advancements In AI Technology. Our Access To AI Tools, As Well As The Many Hearst DevHub-built Tools (an Editorial Innovation Team), Acts As a Smart Assistant For Routine Work. In Our Newsroom, You Will Use AI To

• Generate headline options, SEO keywords or alert language.
• Clean up grammar, apply style and improve clarity.
• Version stories for different formats (video, audio) or platforms (social media).
• Monitor public meetings and get alerts with transcripts and video.
• Process and summarize data with AI assistance, human-verified before use.

Advanced AI is not a journalist, but it can facilitate and accelerate the work of journalism.

Additional Information

• Sponsorship: This position does not provide immigration sponsorship. Applicants must have the right to work in the U.S. without immigration sponsorship.
• Accommodations: We are committed to an accessible application process. If you need an accommodation to apply, please contact [e-mail] . This email address is for accommodation requests only.

Benefits

We support our employees through personal and professional development and promote physical, financial and emotional wellbeing for employees and their families. Our benefits include:

• Physical Wellbeing: Medical, dental and vision coverage to help keep you and your family healthy.
• Invest for the Future: Competitive retirement plan with a matching program in most markets.
• Generous Paid Time Off: Ample time off, including holidays and vacation.
• Paid Parental Leave: Paid leave to support growing families and new parents.
• Monthly Child & Dependent Care Reimbursement: Financial support for the care of your loved ones.
• Emotional Wellbeing: Mental wellness benefits to support your emotional wellbeing.
• LGBTQ+ & Inclusive Health Services: Inclusive healthcare designed for individual needs.
• Fertility Coverage & Menopause Support: Support throughout different stages of your health and family journey.
• Pet Wellness Reimbursement & Rover Credits: Support to help keep your pets happy and healthy.
• And more: Learn more about additional benefits and details here .