Senior News Reporter (Washington, DC)

Nashville Public Radio; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Medical benefits

Tuition reimbursement

Training

Job summary

U.S. News & World Report in Washington, DC is seeking a Senior News Reporter to cover a mix of national and Washington-area stories, with room for enterprise pieces.

The role requires 5–8 years of reporting experience, strong writing and deadline skills, and the ability to juggle multiple assignments in a fast-paced digital newsroom. This position offers a hybrid schedule in our DC office and a base salary range of $60,000 to $90,000.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of professional news reporting and writing experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field.
• Strong news judgment and deadline-driven writing skills.
• Experience gathering, evaluating and distilling information from multiple sources.
• Ability to juggle multiple assignments in a fast-paced news environment.

Responsibilities

• Closely follow the news cycle and pitch stories daily.
• Report and write fast-turnaround news stories and enterprise pieces when time allows.
• Move quickly on breaking and developing news and file multiple stories daily.
• Serve as a spokesperson for U.S. News, including at conferences and interviews.
• Contribute to major U.S. News launches and editorial initiatives, including Best Countries and Best States.

Skills

News reporting

Writing

Research

Analytical skills

Deadline-driven

Education

Bachelor's degree in journalism or related field

Tools

Google Trends

SEO

Social media tools

Job description

U.S. News & World Report is a multifaceted digital media company dedicated to helping citizens, consumers, business leaders and policy officials make important decisions in their lives. We publish independent reporting, rankings, data journalism and advice that has earned the trust of our readers and users for 90 years. Our platforms on usnews.com include Education, Health, Money, Travel, Cars, News, Real Estate, Careers and 360 Reviews.

We reach millions of people monthly during moments when they are most in need of expert advice and motivated to act on that advice directly on our platforms. Our signature franchises include our “Best” series of consumer guides on colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, diets, cars, financial services and more. These guides provide an easy-to-digest list for consumers to better understand and compare when making their decisions. We continue to publish annual guides of the authoritative Best Colleges and Best Hospitals rankings on our website and in print. And our U.S. News Live flagship conferences highlight important national conversations such as Healthcare of Tomorrow. We also maintain a newsroom with a longstanding reputation for authoritative coverage of Washington, national politics and major news events.

We believe in having a broad range of talent and backgrounds at U.S. News. We strive to maintain a welcoming and inclusive workplace where everyone is given an opportunity to succeed and contribute to their fullest.

Your role in helping us shape the future:

U.S. News empowers everyone to thrive. In the position of Senior News Reporter, you’ll be a general assignment reporter but also cover a fair bit of news out of Washington.

Are you up to the challenge?

• Closely follow the news cycle and pitch stories daily, bringing the curiosity of a generalist and an eye for political and national stories that break through the noise.
• Report and write fast‑turnaround news stories, along with analytical and enterprise pieces when time allows.
• Move quickly on breaking and developing news, filing multiple stories a day when needed.
• Serve as a spokesperson for U.S. News, including speaking at conferences and participating in media interviews as needed.
• Contribute to major U.S. News launches and editorial initiatives, including Best Countries and Best States.

You should definitely have:

• 5 - 8 years of similar professional news reporting and writing experience, preferably in a digital news environment or related experience
• To be considered for this role, please provide 3 hyperlinked writing samples on your resume or attach a link to your portfolio.
• Strong news judgment and a demonstrated interest in Washington, politics and national news.
• Strong reporting, research, writing and analytical skills.
• The ability to write clean, accurate copy quickly on deadline.
• Experience gathering, evaluating and distilling information and data from multiple sources.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
• The ability to juggle multiple assignments and shifting priorities in a fast‑paced news environment.
• A bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Applicants must provide three reporting or writing clips in addition to a résumé and cover letter.

It would be nice if you had:

• Experience with data visualization tools or data-driven reporting.
• A strong understanding of Google Trends, social media, SEO and other tools for identifying and reaching news audiences.

What it’s like to work with us:

Talent is our best asset!

We invest in people with passion and potential who understand U.S. News’ dedication to our consumers.

• Entrepreneurial, mission‑driven culture with core values of quality and integrity
• Focus on fostering personal and professional growth
• Competitive benefits including paid vacation time, medical, tuition reimbursement, and training
• Collaborative Work Environment : Fun, diverse, inclusive and ambitious co‑workers

Other Job Info:

• These statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this job. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees assigned to this job.
• U.S. News & World Report strongly encourages all employees to be fully vaccinated (including boosters).
• Washington, DC based applicants to work a hybrid schedule in our DC office location.
• The anticipated base salary for this position is $60,000 to $90,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, interview performance, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.