Election Reporter (Temporary)

LA Times Studios LLC; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 56,000 - 79,000; Full time

Job summary

LA Times Studios LLC in the Los Angeles area seeks a temporary reporter to cover the 2026 elections with a focus on local races and post-results. The role requires digging into LA and county bureaucracies and reporting on deadline and longer investigations.

You will collaborate with colleagues covering LA County and Sacramento, reporting on voter guides and enterprise stories, crafting SEO-friendly headlines for a diverse audience.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years of journalism experience.
• Excellent skills in news writing and reporting with strong news judgement.
• Ability to report breaking news on deadline and develop longer enterprise stories.
• Excellent communication with peers, supervisors and newsroom.
• Navigate digital platforms and stay on top of current events.
• Understanding of accuracy and precision in reporting.
• Ethical and inclusive approach in the workplace.
• Comfortable appearing on TV, radio and podcasts for the L.A. Times.

Responsibilities

• Report and write stories about local politics, including breaking news, enterprise stories and voter guides.
• Cultivate sources and contacts to aid in execution of stories.
• Identify unique angles that advance coverage beyond rivals.
• Write engaging headlines and SEO components for a digital audience.
• Collaborate with writers, editors, and audience engagement staff to meet department goals.

Skills

Journalism experience

News writing

Deadline-driven

Digital platforms

Accuracy

Ethical & inclusive

TV/radio/podcasts

Job description

The Los Angeles Times has an opening for a temporary reporter to work on 2026 election coverage, with a focus on local races and the aftermath of results across the region.

The successful candidate should have a strong interest in local politics and digging deeply into Los Angeles and the county's massive bureaucracies. They should be able to report breaking news on deadline and write longer-term stories on a variety of topics, including post-fire recovery, homelessness and elections.

The reporter will regularly collaborate with others, including writers covering Los Angeles County, Sacramento and breaking news. Experience covering L.A. city and county government is a plus.

Responsibilities:

• Report and write stories about local politics, including breaking news, enterprise stories and voter guides
• Cultivate sources and contacts to aid in the execution of a range of stories
• Identify unique angles that will advance a news story beyond what other outlets have already reported
• Write engaging headlines and SEO components that are lively and conversational in tone (when appropriate) with a digital, diverse audience in mind
• Work with fellow writers, editors, audience engagement staff and other reporters to achieve department and organizational goals

Requirements:

• A minimum of five years of journalism experience
• Excellent skills in news writing and reporting, combining strong news judgment, fluency in style and deep knowledge of taste and legal considerations
• Ability to foster excellent communication with peers, supervisors and the newsroom
• Proven ability to juggle multiple tasks in a deadline-driven environment
• Ability to navigate digital platforms and stay on top of current events
• Understanding of the importance of accuracy and precision
• An ethical and inclusive approach in the workplace that promotes collaboration
• Comfortable appearing on TV, radio and podcasts on behalf of the L.A. Times

This temporary position will be based in El Segundo, Calif., and downtown Los Angeles. It is expected to last 60 days, with occasional night and weekend work. Reporters must have a valid driver's license and access to a vehicle in good working condition, with suitable auto insurance coverage.

The L.A. Times is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We actively work to create an inclusive environment where all of our employees can thrive.

Explore our company history, achievement, values, mission and more on our career site.

The pay scale the Company reasonably expects to pay for this position at the time of the posting is $40.54 to $57.35 and takes into account a wide range of factors including but not limited to skill set, experience, training, licenses, certifications, and other business or organizational needs. Compensation will be determined based on the above factors along with the requirements of the position. At the L.A. Times, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for the role.

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